


Somewhere Between Red And Orange

by AdelyaDarling, DarlingLove



Series: Somewhere Between Red And Orange [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: "consensual" Mind-Fuck, Actual Romance, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Bipolar Disorder, Blow Jobs, But Gaster is more protective, But not really because there is smut all over the place, Consensual Mind Control, Dancing and Singing, Deepthroating, Dom W. D. Gaster, Drama & Romance, Drug Use, Drunk Sex, Drunken Shenanigans, Ecto-Penis (Undertale), Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Gaster should have his own warning, Good W. D. Gaster, Human/Monster Romance, Inspired by Music, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mind Control, Mind Games, Mind Manipulation, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Oral Sex, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Protective Sans (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader does not expect love interest to suddenly change for her, Reader has a vagina, Reader has actual goals, Reader-Insert, References to Depression, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Rough Sex, Sans (Undertale) Needs a Hug, Shower Sex, Singing, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Songfic, Sorry Not Sorry, Soul Bond, Soul Sex, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Speciesism, Spoiler Alert - Freeform, Sugar Daddy, Tattoos, Tender Sex, Tenderness, Tragic Romance, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, Vaginal Sex, W. D. Gaster Being An Asshole, Worried Sans (Undertale), You did not gain LV but you did gain love, addiction?, alcohol use, because drunk people, brave and determined soul, cold-to-hot, geeettttttt dunked on!!! (Undertale), incubus, its just weed tho, more thought went into writing this story then the tags, reader is female, red and orange soul, sans too, stop reading these tags if you dont want a spoiler, there will be plenty of smut, voyeurism?, you get to fuck sans and gaster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:54:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 19
Words: 226,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27430837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdelyaDarling/pseuds/AdelyaDarling, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarlingLove/pseuds/DarlingLove
Summary: *Updated Summary* You're 23 years old, you dream of being a famous Lyricist-singer-songwrighter. You begrudgingly go to MEU a local college with your best friend and almost immediately flirt with a certain skeleton and then develop a magnetic attraction to a professor, Dr. Gaster. He's the 'enigma of MEU' but that's not surprising since you have a thing for tall-dark and brooding types. It is surprising that he's willing to hear you out, then offers to trade lust for your submission, with a deal you can't refuse. When you find out your very soul is at risk of being claimed by the void and only Gaster can save you, you're only further motivated to stay with him. Along the way you start to fall hard, you want him to be apart of your dreams for the future. Gaster has finally met his magnum opus, his obsession, your anomaly of an existence. A bright soul covered in betrayal lines. However, you've awoken something in him he thought permanently dormant, something he'd been suppressing for eons since his specific monster species had been particularly dangerous. You easily shattered the wall of control he had built over thousands of years, can he succeed in keeping you alive or will he just end up being the cause of your demise?
Relationships: Alphys & Undyne (Undertale), Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Mettaton & Papyrus (Undertale), Mettaton/Papyrus (Undertale), Sans (Undertale) & Original Character(s), Sans (Undertale) & Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Original Female Character(s), Sans (Undertale)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/You, W. D. Gaster & Original Character(s), W. D. Gaster/Original Character(s), W. D. Gaster/Original Female Character(s), W. D. Gaster/Reader, W. D. Gaster/You
Series: Somewhere Between Red And Orange [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2004073
Comments: 144
Kudos: 142





	1. MAGIC!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story idea me and my wonderful fiancée, Adelya came up with; set in the Undertale universe. It is an ongoing series, the chapters take us about a week to write and edit. So weekly updates most likely. We put lots of work into this and we would love for any comment even if its just an emoji 🥰. If you like the story and want us to continue please let us know~~~~ encouragement helps Oh and we now have an official tumblr https://somewhere-between-red-and-orange.tumblr.com/ We also have a Ko-Fi if you would like to help fund the caffeine that keeps me awake enough to write lol https://ko-fi.com/darlinglove ❤️🔥🧡

This is not where you expected to be. In a car, driving three hours to your city's closest university. You’re on your way to the dorms at MEU (Mount. Ebott University) _‘The first university to integrate monsters into their student body and faculty’_ fifteen years ago. You think, mimicking that pamphlet you probably should have read closer when you agreed to go. After monsters broke the barrier all those years ago at Mount Ebott State Park, things were definitely different around your small town. It's a great college really, but you didn’t want to be here; you’d rather be following your dreams of becoming a famous singer. Instead, your parents gave you an ultimatum, go to a non-art college for four years and _“study something practical”_ to have their support, or make it on your own. You couldn’t fund your dreams all on your own, so you hesitantly agreed, you just cant do this _all_ alone, you thought.

You were twenty-three and had been out of high school for five years now. If only having any other job worked for you. You’ve gone through several and none of them have ever worked out. Not that you were always fired, you just weren’t compatible with being a minimum wage slave. Your parents told you to take your time figuring things out. You know you should be grateful, your parents weren’t rich and their offer to pay for your college is a privilege not many people get. In a balance of fate, your best friend Adelya wasn't ready to go to college either just yet. You've been living with her these past five years. Now that she is finally going to college though, she’s moving out of your shared apartment. You knew you couldn't afford the place on your own, so you had to make a choice. Moving back in with your parents was out of the question. 

You’ve spent the last five years honing your voice. You were waiting to be more established before you made efforts to meet with record companies. You weren't ready to try and get signed into the music industry just yet, your portfolio was lacking. However, you and your voice were ready to start making a name for yourself. It just sucks that right when you got the confidence to begin, suddenly your parents were against supporting any of it.

So this was it. Get a degree and have a much easier time making it, or do things all on your own, and risk alienating your family. If there was ever a time to have to do this, it would be now with Adelya while she was going too. At least you would have her for support. Every inch of you was screaming to just hit the road. Yet your practical side told you that having a degree under your belt wouldn't be such a terrible idea. It was only four years, could it really change your life that much? Well you won't know until you go and try. You laugh at the irony. 

It always seemed like you never had enough energy for it, for any of it, honestly. But you were still here somehow. Awake and ready to face these next four years. The only question was what to go to college for? Thankfully Adelya, who was already planning on going to MEU this year, had an idea. In your ever persistent combination of interest and disinterest, Adelya suggested you go to the same college as her. Time was running out to sign up for the next semester and she said to just _‘pick the first thing that interested you’_ and then you could switch majors if you wanted to later. This way, the two of you would be roommates and have each other's backs. So, you agreed to go with her and settled with psychology. Simply because you're a human who knows how emotions work, right? It can't be _too_ difficult. If you understand people's emotions and their motives behind things, it may help you become a better advocate for yourself. A better understanding of people skills would help you get where you needed to be. Honestly, it was the closest _possibly helpful_ major your parents would allow. Yet, a big part of you knew you were just doing this to get them off your back. No matter how much you tried to convince yourself this was the right choice; It was frustrating to be twenty three, and have little to no control over your life.

As you sit in the passenger side of your best friend's ride and watch the trees of the country start to become more frequent. Your vision becomes a blur of green. Your friend driving the car looks at your distant face and sighs. _‘It's too early for sad faces’_ she thinks, an idea crossing her mind, she speaks.

“Hey (Y/N), wanna play eye spy?” She says trying to hide a big smile, and failing. You were resting your chin on your hand, elbow on the car door. You turn to her, raise an eyebrow quizzically and sigh. Bringing your hand to your lap, you respond. 

“Adelya why…? You know what? Sure, why not.” You huff in a small show of bemusement. At this point anything is better than going over your situation in your head for a tenth time.

“Awesome.” She says, unleashing her restrained smile. She laughs a few times before continuing, “Okay, okay I'll go first,” you look at her patiently. “Eye spy with my little eye…..something green.” she composes herself momentarily while you think. Looking around the car first, you find a surprising lack of anything green. Then to outside the car, you sigh, all you saw was a sea of trees. _Wait_. You crack a smile,

“Is it a tree?” You ask, a loud giggle finally escapes her, confirming your question. Of course she would cheer you up this way, referring to one of your **[favorite scenes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGaQ7Kfg9Us&ab_channel=zinedinealex) ** in a beloved childhood movie. She nods to confirm, looking at you to continue the joke. You join in her a bit of contagious laughter and continue “Okay then, my turn. Eye spy with my little eye, something….tall?”

“Tree.” She says matter-of-factly, her giggle calming down as you sigh again albeit a little happier this time; you turn to her to lament your thoughts. 

“Thanks, I needed a distraction.” You give a lazy smile, something catches Adelya’s eye though, and you follow her gaze to see what it is she’s focusing on. Ah you’re here, Adelya turns the car left onto a long winding mountain road with a sign signaling this as the entrance to MEU. You lean forward in your car seat, somehow trying to get a better view at the collection of large buildings; you sigh and say what anyone has to say in these situations.

“Welp, we're here.” Then you flop back against your seat. You give your right foot a light stomp for added effect, Adelya just rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

“Drama, _QUEEN._ ” She says as more of a fact then an accusation, Adelya precisely finds your dorm building and parks her SUV just outside. 

You get out of the car and take a moment to stare at your dorm building; MEU was a college that was academically known for math, science, pre-med, and literature. But other majors and courses were available too. Ugh, _if only_ your parents would have been cool with you majoring in theater or the arts even. But that's not something that’s considered “practical” to them, your mind wanders briefly to an unsettling thought. Maybe your parents still won't support you after all this, maybe they’re hoping you will give up on your dream. But you shake that worry out of your mind. You’re going to be famous one day and in order to prove to your parents that you can make it you need to be a straight ‘A’ student. You sigh, you couldn't even do that in high school, this was going to be a hell of a four year journey.

“Earth to (Y/N)?” Adelya says, as you look at her, at least you had her. Oh, she's talking to you.

“Y-Yeah..? Sorry.” You look from the building back to her. “What was that? I spaced out.” you give her an apologetic smile, she returns yours with a sympathetic one. 

“It’s cool girlie, I said ‘wanna go get us our dorm keys at the front desk?’ Cause I'm gonna start unloading the car.” She says, as she rounds the vehicle and opens the door to the back. 

“Yeah sure, can-do.” You nod as you walk to the front door of dorm building 303. You can do this, you think. Just gotta take one step at a time.

* * *

After you receive your keys from the main office, the two of you set up your beds the way you wanted them, yours to the right and Adelya’s to the left. A large window was situated at the back wall in-between the two sides of the room, so at least there will be plenty of sunlight when you want it. For now though, you draw the curtains closed and turn on the light in the room so you and Adelya can set up your room in peace. It takes almost all day to set up your room and move your stuff into the dorms. The two of you unpack and decorate your sides respectively, Adelya’s side of the room is covered in purples and blues, gold colored trinkets peppered here and there. She had a classier taste than you, for sure, your side was adorned with posters of your favorite bands and pop culture references. Memes and stuffed animals decorating your bed and walls respectively, and the color scheme on your side of the room is mostly red and orange. You loved anything having to do with rich warm fire-like colors, and you loved campfires on a starry night more than anything. You swear you've spent more time than normal staring into the beautiful flames of a fire, warm childhood memories of bonfires on the beach cross your mind as you stare at your red comforter and orange bed sheets. The bigger and brighter the flames the better, you believed, you wish that formula worked with everything you loved in life. But your parents thought being too big of a presence in a room was distracting; they thought you were too overzealous, too loud, too much. How you wished to be as free as the flames of a fire, the fingers of the flame always reaching towards the stars in the sky; thriving if only fed the fuel it needs. Maybe that’s something good you gain from this whole situation, maybe now that you were here, you could be yourself. _Without_ your parents snuffing your flames out.

When both you and Adelya finished moving in, she reminded you of the college’s new student mixer tonight. 

“It’s happening in the large courtyard of the student union at 9:30pm tonight.” She says. You heard about this in the orientation pamphlet Adelya read you earlier, she had convinced you to go, telling you that socializing would be good for you. You couldn't find a worthwhile excuse to refuse, and you weren't exactly opposed to a party. Even if it was going to be a lame and tame one, hosted by the school. You took note of the location and time and headed to the showers to get ready.

Adelya was excited to meet the campus sorority, who was supposed to be scouting out possible members at the first mixer of the new school year. You laughed and said you were excited to meet the fraternity boys more. She giggled but reminded you, getting in a relationship wouldn't be smart your first year of college. You assured her if anything, you’d simply be hooking up with someone. You quickly added _'_ _safely’_ before she could jokingly scold you again. 

Adelya always had your back and looked out for you, although, she was more of a ‘give you your space’ and ‘ill be here to break the fall’ kinda friend. You both knew that the two of you would make plenty of mistakes these next four years; It was a mutual understanding that when you did, you would be there for each other. That said, neither of you helicoptered over the other, you two had enough of that from your parents.

After getting out of the shower, you thought of the further details of the party, and as you got dressed you recall that there should be two RA’s for your building there. There were supposed to be two for each building, one human and one monster. They would be there to answer any initial questions anyone may have, and they would also be living in the same building and could almost always be available to help you with anything you needed. This was standard for most colleges, you figured If anything it would be smart to meet your buildings RA. Although, the human Residence Assistant was usually close to the age of the second year students; that means they would be around twenty and you were already twenty three. Sure they knew more about the campus then you did, but for everything else, you're glad you had Adelya. Now that you were thinking about it you weren't really sure what the age of the _monster RA_ would be, you knew that most if not all the monsters that left the underground were hundreds of years old. Nowadays things are well mixed and you can't tell an older monster from a younger one, and most seemed to never age. 

Adelya had bought you both matching dresses before you left for college, just a simple slightly above knee length dress. Hers in black and yours in red. She failed to take into account your breast size though, and the dress made your cleavage a bit too noticeable. You didn't look _too_ unprofessional, though you assume you would get some stares at least. You took too much time doing your hair and makeup to find something else for both of you to wear though, so this dress will have to do. Not to mention Adelya would get sad if you changed out of your matching dress, but no matter how self conscious you were about your chest, you did have to admit that the both of you looked _pretty damn good_. As you finished helping Adelya with her eyeliner, the two of you leave your dorm, both remembering to bring your keys to get back in. The doors conveniently locked automatically behind you, which you appreciated for security.

* * *

The first thing Adelya did when you arrived at the mixer was make a b-line for the cupcakes at the snack table. You click your tongue in amusement and follow behind her, you guess you could go for some warm Hawaiian punch. It was Polar Blast flavored, which was okay. Blue Hawaiian punch was good and all, but thinking back to when you used to drink this stuff as a kid? You preferred the purple grape flavor more, what was it called again? ‘Berry Bonkers’ or something like that. You take a moment to smile at the weird amount of knowledge you know about Hawaiian punch, for _some_ reason your brain decided to save this info. _Surely_ there are more important things you have forgotten? Oh well. Adelya mumbles something about going to talk to the kind looking ghost DJ in a top hat who is playing steady tunes; you give her a nod and you awkwardly drink your warm, inferior flavored punch. Your eyes survey the room, you sigh as you settle on people watching, currently **[‘Rude’ by MAGIC!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bCv2lmWpAw&ab_channel=JohnLomboy) ** Is playing at a pleasant volume. Monsters and people alike are talking in kind. 

After everything monsters had to go through to be seen as equal citizens, it's a comforting sight. Your parents weren't really on the right side of history when it came to monsters, and it upset you to no end, and over the years you swayed their views enough for them not to complain about you going to this university. It took years of standing up to them, but you were never afraid of correcting them when they said something racist against monsters. You had made many friends with monsters growing up alongside them in your school and community, all you wanted was peace, and a wonderful example of it was right here at this party. Monsters and humans were chatting and singing along to the music, you loved music for this exact reason. It could bring everyone, no matter who, together to enjoy the moment; you wanted to create your own music and be the reason more people are brought together. 

Your thought was interrupted by a loud group of laughter. You look to your left just outside the designated dance area for the source. When you spotted the group, the most interesting member caught your eye. A skeleton in a blue jacket, he seemed to be the one telling whatever jokes that caused the laughter. He looked to be about a head taller than you, and was built similarly to your size. You hadn't seen any skeleton monsters in the fifteen years you have been introduced to them, and to be honest you were curious. You knew they existed, apparently some of the first monsters on the surface were skeletons. But no matter how fascinating his slightly sharp canine teeth that became visible while he talked were, you knew you shouldn't stare too long. So, regrettably, you pull your gaze away from the charismatic skeleton. 

At this time the DJ has [ **‘Closer’** **by the chainsmokers** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25ROFXjoaAU&ab_channel=7clouds) playing over the speakers, good song. Anyway, your eyes seem to settle on what seems to be a small gathering of professors or administrators. They are all older, and the one monster there is so tall and stoic you assume he is one of the monster faculty here. Not that you ever thought he would be a student, he was so interesting, your sex deprived libido took one look to admit you were willing to let him teach you _anything he wanted_. A shameless thought sure, but even you wouldn’t be brave enough to say it out loud, you had a thing for tall, dark and handsome types, after all. Growing up, you and many others, struggled wondering if you liked monsters for themselves or for their unavoidable ‘exotic’ traits. It took some self reflection to realize you just had a type like anyone else, and you knew even if you grew up without monsters, your type would be the same. He may not be what most people consider handsome, not in the traditional sense. Although to you, the dominant control he seemed to be radiating overwhelmed you, and you aren’t even anywhere _near_ him. His face and demeanor were so intense and composed all at once, the thought of approaching him gave you goosebumps. 

You must not have learned your self disciplined lesson of not staring from earlier, because you continue to do so. As you took more time studying him you focused on the lines down his face, there was a slight thin black line-marking of sorts down his left eye, and another under his right eye. He didn't seem bothered by it, but you knew they had to be some kind of scaring, and somehow they seemed….really painful. You take a brief moment to think of what may have happened to cause them, then putting that aside, you wonder what kind of monster he is? You knew he wasn't a skeleton, unlike the one near the dancefloor he seemed to have smooth unpigmented ivory white skin. Maybe a kind of skeleton humanoid ghoul? You don't know why, all things considered, you were still compelled to study him. Maybe it's the classy sophisticated way he was dressed; dark turtleneck sweater and pristine white lab coat, and that only added to his sharp sophisticated look. Still, your heart skipped a beat when you thought of talking to him. 

You definitely were staring too long, because he looks away from his surrounding group and notices you from across the courtyard. When he makes eye contact with you, for just a brief moment, you couldn’t breath. Your face started to burn with embarrassment, and you swear he looked down to your chest. But you're too fixated on his cold-to-hot gaze he was keeping you trapped with to look away. You try not to think you're 'hot for teacher' and tell yourself you're just embarrassed for staring, god you need to _calm down_. Suddenly as if a benevolent being somehow heard your request, a wave of calm washes over you. You have no idea how, but you are suddenly not as intimidated by him, then before you had enough time to process things, your brain decided you should go talk to him. He looks away and you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. As you look down at your even warmer punch, images of yourself walking up and starting a conversation with the tall mysterious monster float through your mind. You see him calmly chatting with you and you relax, almost quelling the fear in your mind that he would be annoyed with you for staring. The music seems to comfort you further as you start to whisper-sing along to the song that's playing…

**_♫_ ** _~_ _"_ _So, baby, pull me closer..._

_In the back seat of your Rover"~ **♫**_

Your mind thinks back to your trip here in your friend's car.

_**♫** ~"_ _That I know you can't afford,"~ **♫**_

The irony of how you can't afford to chase your dreams on your own.

**_♫_ ** _~"_ _Bite that tattoo on your shoulder."~_ **_♫_ **

You think about the tattoos you already have, and you imagine teeth biting your shoulder near your neck, then an image of sharp teeth doing _just that_ flashes through your mind. Not just any teeth though, you seem to be imagining the teeth of the tall monster. You ponder if they are similar to the Skeletons, then your mind seems to convince you they’re sharper. That idea excites you, and deciding to indulge further in this idea you think back to the song lyrics. A bite tattoo on your neck would be cool, you think, _speaking of the tall handsome ghoul monster_. You should go introduce yourself, it might be nice to know one teacher, so you smile as you finish the last of your punch, ready to go introduce yourself. As you bring the cup down away from your lips that suave skeleton from before was now standing in front of you. He wasn't close enough to invade your personal space, but he was close enough to startle you slightly. 

“Well I'm glad I could bring a spark of excitement to this party for ya, dollface.” The skeleton in the blue jacket winks at you as you try and recover from the sudden surprise. You swallow the last of your punch and cough slightly, composing yourself you reply, 

“Oh, um - _cough_ \- sorry you definitely caught me off guard.” You smile tossing your cup into the nearby recycling bin, then turn back to look at him, “Yeah thanks, this party is a little quiet hu?” You softly giggle, he just nods slightly, and you could swear his eyes looked to your chest too. Maybe you're just being self conscious with this dress you're wearing.

“My name’s (Y/N) by the way, and you are?” You hold out your hand for him to shake, he gives you a more obvious once over before taking your hand to shake. You try to give reason for that obvious flirty look he just gave you.

“Sans. Building 303’s monster RA.” He says, and you both retreat from the handshake as he adds, “No need to be so formal with me though, I'm no where near formal myself.” he chuckles as he sets his hand back in his jacket pocket. 

“Oh, heh, sorry about that.” You tuck a piece of hair behind your ear as you continue, “Adelya says that being around me in public is like ‘watching someone who is trying to run for mayor of everything’.” you laugh slightly and Sans just chuckles and shakes his head.

“It's fine kiddo, I assume Adelya is the girl you came here with, right?” He says with an effortlessly cool look on his face. You look around the room quickly to see if you can find her; your eyes land on your roommate talking with a group of girls near the dance floor, Sans follows your gaze and lets out a small amused huff. 

“The one in the matching dress, yeah.” You say fondly.

“She's talking to the Delta Zeta girls, I know the sorority mother, Temmie. Gotta have a lot of energy to keep up with them.” He says tilting his head matter-of-factly. Turning back to you leaning back on his heels, he looks at you eyes half lidded, “The Alpha Delta Phi’s are having a party tonight too, anyone who’s anyone...and isn't a freshman, are going to be there soon.” He says, and as he talks, you notice a blue glow behind his teeth, that you can only assume to be his tongue. It moves behind his teeth and sharp canines as he talks, and you can't really control yourself from blushing.

“O-Oh? Is that so? I'd normally be the one to try and crash a party like that.” You look away slightly, “I mean I am twenty three, no one would notice me or think I'm a freshman.” You assure yourself with a determined look in your face as you stare off at nothing in particular. Your attention gets pulled back to Sans though as you hear sans let out a huff in disagreement, then he quickly spoke to explain his disbelief.

“Well sure people might not think you're a _freshman_ , but I still think you’d stand out.” He looks at you as he lightly grazes his tongue over one of his canines, before hiding it behind his teeth again. Shit you were not trying to flirt with someone on the first day _...unless..._ no you should stay focused. 

“A-And why do you say that?” You say, fighting the urge to bite your lip, and failing. There was something about this guy that made your heart beat faster, and the mindset you were still stuck in thanks to your daydreaming about the dominant monster across the room wasn't helping.

“I dunno think you got a certain fiery presence _tibia_ honest.” He smiles at you, the comment is a welcomed distraction as you absolutely beam at his compliment. The pun going right over your head at first.

_“Really?_ You think so? That actually makes me _super_ happy to hear, honestly!” You say. 

You're oblivious to his joke, but Sans just becomes entranced in your energy. He wasn't lying, your soul was somewhere between a mix of red and orange, and it was lighting up like a Christmas tree at his complement. He saw the bright light of your soul when you first arrived here, it would almost be blinding if soul light worked that way. 

“Wait. Was that a _bone pun_?” You say, he winks to confirm your suspicion, and you giggle. 

“So what are you doing here?” Sans says to you, with a look of genuine interest. 

“Like, here at this party? Or here at this college?” You say raising an eyebrow playfully. 

“Hm, both.” Sans says.

“Well, honestly? I only agreed to go to college to appease my parents, I just picked the first thing that came to mind to major in. I'm at this college in _particular_ because my friend, Adelya-” you say pointing in your friend's general direction, “-decided to go to college this year too.” Resting your hand back at your side, “Actually she is the reason I'm at this party too I guess.” You huff in amusement.

“Appease your parents?” Sans was actually kinda surprised, he didn't think a soul as bright and powerful as yours would be forced into anything, but he doesn't know your situation enough to be the judge of that yet. 

“They said if I got a four year degree in _‘something practical’_ they would help me with what I really want to do.” You sigh, you feel like you've repeated this a million times in your head at this point. “So I picked Psychology. Figured it would help me understand people more, and people skills will be useful for me in the future.” You take a deep breath, “So why are you here?” You question.

“I'm required to be here for at least an hour.” He smirks, _“Otherwise_ I would be at the Alpha Delta Phi’s party.” He insists, and you both smile at that.

_“Well I…”_ You start, but your sentence trails off as your eyes wander to the back of the party. The compelling monster from across the courtyard meets your gaze again, the slight flutter in your soul catches Sans attention, and he looks over his shoulder to see Gaster disappear into a void of black. He turns back to you to see you blink a few times as you mumble _“Did he just?”_ before you can continue though Sans speaks up.

“Psychology hu? You worried about Dr. Gaster then I assume?” He says motioning to where the tall monster just disappeared. ' _So that's his name,'_ you think to yourself.

“Um well...” You start, but Sans continues.

_“Don’t be.”_ He scoffs “He's just a stick in the mud (Y/N).” He mumbles under his breath, _“Though the things you've probably heard about him are definitely true.”_ He shakes his head and resumes speaking at normal volume. “What's important is first years don't have classes with him…well___-you___-one class.” you swear he says something more but it was muffled by Adelya laughing and walking toward you leaving a group of girls behind her.

“Hey Rockstar!” She says to you, and you smile at her affectionate nickname; Sans backs up a bit letting her approach you.

“Whatsup cupcake?” You say with a smile. 

“Ohmygosh I had like _one_ maybe two but that's not why I'm here.” She looks to her right only just realizing you were talking to someone. “Oh I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?” You internally and also maybe externally blush. Before Sans can dismiss himself, you quickly respond. 

“Only kinda, this is Sans,” you nod in his direction. “He's _our_ building’s monster RA.” You only just now realized you forgot to tell him that your dorm is in building 303. Sans smiles towards your friend but she is quicker to reply. 

“Heya Sans I’m Adelya, her emotional support human.” She says pointing to you, you roll your eyes but smile nonetheless.

“Nice to meet you Adelya.” Sans says, with a small nod. 

“So I'm not trying to interrupt.” Adelya puts her hands out in slight defense. “Just wanna let (Y/N) know that I'm gonna check out the Delta Zeta sorority house now.” She says with an awkward smile, she knows you're going to be slightly annoyed. 

“So you're just gonna take me to this lame party, then _dip_ and _leave_ _me at this lame party?_ ” You look at her expectantly.

_“Yes?”_ She says. And your annoyed face melts into a smile as you both laugh.

_“Ohmygosh_ girl you know I don't really mind, haha its cool promise. Just text me with updates, yeah? I'll do the same.” You reassure her.

“Okay, awesome, will do! See you later Rockstar!” She kisses your cheek and you jokingly dramatically shoo her away, “Oh, and see you around Sans!” She says as she points at him with charismatic finger gun motions and scampers off to rejoin the group of girls gathered on the dance floor. You giggle softly and shake your head turning your attention back to Sans, then you wonder if he would sneak you into that party he mentioned earlier, so you ask.

“So, about that fraternity party you were talking about…” you sheepishly smirk up to him. Sans chuckles lifting a hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his 'neck'.

“I know where this is going kid heh, look, I'm _dying_ to get out of here too, and I'll be happy to take you with me.” Your soul lights up again as you smile and reply. 

“Really? Awesome, Wher-” you begin before he cuts you off.

“Gotta answer a question I have about you first though.” Sans says with a smirk.

_“Alright,_ sure? What do you wanna know?” You reply thinking about what else he could need to know about you.

“You said you're here just to make your parents happy yeah? What is it that you really wanna do?” He says, with his smile softening, and without hesitation you reply.

“I wanna sing professionally and be a ‘Rockstar’.” You giggle, making air quotes with your hands to lovingly refer to Adelya’s nickname for you. Choosing to only give a crude explanation rather than get into more details. You subconsciously brace yourself for criticism and laughter, but it never comes. Instead, you're pleased to hear the most energetic tone from the skeleton you've heard this whole conversation. Although that wasn't saying much.

“Music huh? I know how frustrating it can be to hear most people say your dreams aren't worth it. From what I understand musicians can have it rough, but with your personality? I believe in you kid.” Again he wasn't lying. Anyone with that bright of a soul could surely reach their dreams, not to mention the fact that yours was made of mainly determination and bravery, which could only help your situation. 

“Thanks, that...means more than you'll know.” Your vaguely sad face doesn't get past Sans though, on the spur of the moment, he had an idea to cheer you up. 

“You gotta stage name?” He asks, basking in the glow of your red and orange soul.

“No, actually heh. You know I’ve never thought of it?” You say sincerely surprised you haven't given it much thought. You always assumed you would just use your regular name. Not that stage names were something you’d normally think of first, but you agree it wouldn't hurt to have an idea of one just in case.

“I guess I've been so focused on practicing and then this whole college thing…why? You got a suggestion?” You say half joking running your fingers through your hair, causing a strand to fall in your face.

“Well, yeah actually.” Sans says tilting his head somewhat. He lifts a hand and brings it to your face to lightly push the rouge strand of hair back into place. You blush at the coy maneuver “How about _‘Ember’?”_ He starts. “Like I said, you've got a _fiery personality,_ and a warm smile too.” After he fixes your hair, Sans hand hovers near the side of your face momentarily before he puts it back into his pocket.

“T-Thanks, um that's really sweet of you to say, I like the name ‘Ember’ actually.” You say with a smile, you really did, something fire related seemed so fitting to you. Speaking of fire, Sans seemed to be lighting a small one in the pit of your stomach.

“So, about that fraternity party I was talking about…” Sans says chuckling deeply at his attempt at mimicking the same sentence you said earlier. You're so focused on his deep some-what husky voice that his words are almost lost on you. As he steps closer to you, he leans down slightly, his face practically right next to yours. Then he moves so he whispers into your ear.

“I know a shortcut.” He says, that sentence sends a pleasant shiver down your spine. The surrounding area seemed to fade to black. You didn't even realize Sans had his hand on your shoulder, because you were too busy looking at the new background steadily fading into existence. Which, as you surveyed the area in shock, your brain finally registered as the front lawn of a huge house party. The muffled but loud sounds of [M83’s song ‘midnight city’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuzvORd7wiM&start=999999999&ab_channel=MusicIsLife) playing as people around you started to notice sans and walk up to holler greetings at him. There were empty red solo cups on the grass, your not dumb, no ones drinking Hawaiian punch here. Good. after finally understanding you must have been teleported here, you're reasonably shocked.

“Woah.” You simply say, an impressed expression forming on your face. Looking from sans to the lights flashing inside the house bewildered, Sans just laughs again. 

“Welp.” He gestures his hand to two people screaming his name out the window of the frat house second floor (that you only just noticed) and taps the hand he had on your shoulder once before removing it.

“That's my cue.” You look towards the people in the window, a fish monster, and a taller skeleton monster. “Have fun at the party Ember, burn off some steam.” He says, winking when he calls you by your new nickname. And before you can say thanks, you watched as darkness enveloped him; he was gone and only trace speckles of black were left behind before those too disappeared. The people screaming out of the second floor window of the frat house seemed to turn around. You only just put two and two together to recognize that he teleported you here, and then most likely up there in the house to those two. **_Did he just seriously fucking teleport me here, then dip?_ ** You think, letting out a partially dazed yet amused huff. You remember hearing that there were monsters who could do that sort of thing, but they were rare. Now that you thought about it, you're pretty sure the tall mysterious professor had _also_ teleported, he dissolved to black and then just wasn't there anymore. Well there is a first for everything, you admit. 

Your mind floats back to ‘Professor Gaster’ for just a second, you decided the next time you saw him you would introduce yourself. You wonder if you'll even see him again, Sans did say he doesn't teach first years, although the thought of not seeing Gaster again bothered you more than it should. Damnit, Sans was right, you’re _way_ too pent-up right now, you need a drink. After letting out a loud sigh, you walk across the lawn of the frat house and straight through the front door. Squeezing past the expected crowd of people with no fear, you're determined to find the beer keg. 

* * *

The bass of the music in the frat house hits you as you're on your 4th beer. You have a pretty good tolerance, but you still were a bit tipsy, not as much as you wanted to be though. So you found the people who were pouring shots, and you actually made a few party friends for the time being. You were careful to not out yourself as a freshman, even though you had a pretty good feeling that no one would care much anyway. You were pleasantly surprised to not only hear current bops playing throughout the loudspeakers but some throwbacks and random stuff too, honestly though who couldn't jam to a good **[vocaloid song remix of ‘tell your world’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKs0wc0h_HY&list=PLVsFQvKEnCRB-eQSdmUlVnpzIUl1hWT8x&index=32&ab_channel=V-Breeze)** **?** The more you looked around the more you realized that the people here were not your typical fraternity and sorority ‘types’ in fact all things considered it was a pretty even crowd. As much as you wanted to join the kids on the couch who were passing around a bowl, you decided it would be better to just be drunk. You did want to find your way home after all. You knew you had an 8am tomorrow, you had given up caring when you decided you wanted to come to this party in the first place. Worst comes to worst? You’ll just sit in the back of the lecture hall. Plus, it was only 11:30pm and you've only been here for around forty five minutes, maybe you should try to find Sans again? 

As you stand up from the table and bid your vodka buddy's adieu, you turn around to go look for Sans. Last you remembered seeing him, was when you first got here. He went to talk to his friends upstairs, so you guess you should check there first. You are definitely drunk at this point though, you pause to get your bearings. The loud sound system of the party playing **[‘Seeya’ by Deadmau5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXxDHqPmuY8&ab_channel=TheOtherMau5) **, you feel the boom of the bass giving you a sense of stability. Still, you’re having to take every step with more caution than usual. You turn the corner and head out of the crowded living room towards the stairs. Fortunately for you though, as you are just rounding the corner you crash into someone. Stumbling back slightly you just barely catch yourself from falling. Putting a hand to your head, after a soft _‘ow’_ you blink and start apologizing. The other person seems to be apologizing too and when you look up, you see a familiar skeleton staring right back at you. Sans is mirroring you with his hand on his head as well. You both just look at each other and burst into laughter. 

“You know Ember,” he starts, “when we first met I had no idea we would be butting heads this much.” He says and laughs, you click your tongue and reply, having to speak significantly louder so you can be heard over the music which booms on.

**_♫ ~Don't wake me up, I'm winning wars inside my head,~_** **_♫_ **

“Yeah and _I_ wasn't expecting to fall for you so soon.” You snort laughing and roll your eyes. Oh god that may have been too forward, you were definitely drunk, which only made you more flirtatious. Instead of being weirded out however, Sans face has a blue hue that imitates a blush of his own. You feel the butterflies in your stomach come alive, he's still chuckling at you, though.

 **_♫~And maybe I'm weak but not beneath the covers of this bed.~_** **_♫_ **

“Seriously though, you good?” He says as he brings his hands up to the side of your face slightly tilting your head trying to assess any damage to your forehead. His touches felt like fire on your skin, spreading to your whole body. You giggle and just nod your head and step a bit closer to him. Biting your lip as you look up to him, Sans hands go from the sides of your face to resting on your shoulders. The blush on his face grew a shade deeper. 

**_♫~Asleep, I'm undefeated in this world of mine,~♫_ **

“I'm fine” you look down at his hands before looking back to him “Thank you for being so nice to me today, by the way.” You catch a glance of his blue tongue, as your chest is basically pressed against his. His mouth was just slightly open, seemingly about to speak, but you spoke before he could get the chance. “Hey I hope it's not rude to ask this…but, how...?” You motion to your face before continuing “How does your tongue work?” You giggle.

**_♫~so let me stay inside this dream and keep me from the light.~♫_ **

Sans doesn't know if he wants to be incredibly turned on or laugh right now. It's not a new question, he's gotten quite a few people who ask him about his tongue. Their intentions being both pure and impure, though, something about you makes him think your intention relies solely on his reply. He's been fascinated with you all night, keeping a watch on your soul. It's been going from what he can only describe as stressed to slowly humming peacefully. The alcohol was numbing your worries for the last hour. And to be perfectly honest from the moment he saw you at the lame mixer earlier, he wanted to whisk you away. In the busy crowd of the party, and in the dim lights of the stairwell, your soul stood out to him like the guiding signal from a lighthouse. All he wanted right now was to be the waves that crashed upon your shore. Fuck it, he thought. 

Sans seemed to be thinking for a moment, looking up to nothing in particular, just to look back down at your obvious bedroom eyes you were giving him. Leaning forward closer to your face he spoke just above a whisper so only you could hear him. 

“That depends….” Sans says trailing his left hand to your neck, while his right hand swiftly finds the small of your back pulling you a little closer. Your heart skips a beat before racing in excitement at his forward move, your eyes were wide for only a moment while you regained your composure. You would be lying if you said you weren't imagining a situation much like this as you were drinking tonight. Maybe he was drunk too but, you weren't complaining, Sans eyes were half lidded, the pinpricks of light from his sockets almost searching for a reaction. It seemed he was ready to backpedal if necessary. You let out an involuntary whimper of excitement realizing how much you wanted this exact moment to happen. He steps forward, you take a step back, your back pressing into the door of a coat closet behind you. A wall to your right and a stairwell to your left, Sans aura of subtle predatory intimidation made your heart race. Your tongue darting out to wet your suddenly dry feeling lips, the bass of the music thrumming to your excited heartbeat; you felt like his prey in the _best_ way.

“D-Depends on what...exactly?” Your breathing failing to hide how flustered you are, Sans slips his hand into your hair guiding your head to the side and you allow it, quietly whimpering in excitement. He leans in close, you can feel the ghost of his hot breath against your neck as he gently nibbles your earlobe. You let out a short gasp and try to restrain a moan, you were never a quiet person in these situations. 

“On how you want me to use it.” He says deeply his voice igniting a fire in you that the alcohol only made more intense.

You released a desperate moan that was only heard by him and you, muffled to others by the music of the party. Honestly, it has been way too long since you’ve been intimate with anyone. Yet, that was all the cue sans needed to continue. He lets out a pleased short growl as he runs his tongue along the side of your neck, his teeth grazing your soft skin as he does so. Sans back was shielding you from any possible wandering eyes. You let out a breathy gasp. The cool wet sensation just makes you hotter. Sans pulls back to look in your eyes once more, “Stars, you’re so beautiful.” he breathily says looking at your flushed face, before the two of you close the gap and kiss each other. Your tongues dance around each other, the smooth yet malleable almost glass-like texture of his tendril shaped tongue was almost intoxicating. It made you feel like you were a whole additional form of drunk. Thankfully, the alcohol gave you the ability to absolutely _not give a fuck_ about anyone who may see you. Although, all things considered, for a crowded house party; you’re pretty well hidden in this dark corner. You grab the sides of his jacket pulling him just a bit closer rolling your hips forward begging for some kind of friction. A deep chuckle from Sans excites you further as he fulfills your desire and moves even closer. He’s pressed directly against you now, with his knee between your legs, grinding his hips forward. There’s a smirk on his face as you continue to kiss only breaking sporadically for air. When his hips met yours you were pleasantly surprised to feel just how excited he is about this too. Well, that answers your second question then. 

All sans wants to do is get you alone, squirming beneath him begging for more. A quick soul check around the room tells him one of the bedrooms upstairs is empty. Most likely the door to the room that has been locked since the start of the party. Not that this was a problem for him though. No matter how well this was going he’d rather not just assume, so he asks you first. He pulls away from your kiss to trail small love bites down your neck as he speaks.

“You wanna make this a private party babe?” He says in a low growl. You _had_ to get this tension out of your system. It looks like Sans found a solution to that for you, and you were all for it.

“ _Mhmn_ _y-yes please_.” You say through needy breaths. And before you know it the noise of the people in the party dissolve and reform into a slightly quieter space. The ever persistent bass of the music is muffled, but still humming in the background. You notice an empty bedroom as your new surroundings. You look around for a moment taking in the room before you smirk back up at Sans. He just shrugs innocently, chuckling slightly as he walks backwards to the bed guiding you with him. When the back of his legs make contact with the mattress he sits and brings his hands up to your hips. 

“C’mere beautiful.” He says. Motioning for you to straddle him, you giggle lustfully and obey, positioning your legs on either side of his lap. The hunger in his eyes almost puts you in a trance, right now you’d do anything he’d ask you to do. And as his hands travel up your thighs pushing up the skirt of your dress, he nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck. Biting then massaging the love bites with his tongue, you moan his name. His pleased hum in response to you moaning his name just stokes your inner fire. The beats of the music still playing muffled in the background becomes the new tempo of your hips grinding on his bulge. You need more friction than this. So you wiggle your hips and moan impatiently before sans grabs your ass pulling your hips down onto his as he grinds his bulge against your panties. 

“ _Mmnn.._ damn baby I can't wait to hear you _scream my name for me_.” He growls impatiently.

You let out an excited squeal before grinding down back into him. Sans must be getting needy too, cause he grabs your waist and in one swift and skilled motion he turns to pin you down on the bed. As he hovered over you, you were a bit surprised but not complaining. You giggle in excited lust as he guides and spreads your legs so his hips are between them. He grinds down on you and you gasp in pleasure as you can feel the tip of his head push against your soaked panties. He leans down to continue heated kisses dipping his tongue past your lips to meet yours again. You can feel him reaching to unbutton his pants but a loud knock on the door causes the both of you to freeze. And you can hear the muffled voice behind the door yell.

“SANS! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE, UNDYNE IS LOOKING FOR YOU! _WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING_?” The voice says. 

“ _Shit._ ” He whispers, he gives you an apologetic look and sits up, offering you a hand so you can quickly do the same. You take his hand and sit up, speaking in a hushed voice. 

“Who _is_ that?” You ask.

“Just my brother Papyrus. He can tell I’m in here cause he can read the presence of my soul energy.” He huffs quietly.

“Does he know I’m here too?” You ask worried, but Sans just chuckles. 

“Nah don’t worry Ember, he can only read mine, and he wouldn’t even realize _why_ we're in here. But the others will, can’t exactly walk out of here with ya now that he knows I’m in here, I'll have to make a show of opening the door so everyone thinks I was alone in here.” He informs you.

“ARE YOU SLEEPING _AGAIN_ LAZY BONES?” The voice continues from outside the door. 

“I’m not worried about others seeing me I just….” You don’t know how to tell him how you would rather not make a scene, and you knew there would be one if you walked out of here with sans especially with the commotion papyrus was making outside. But your worries subsided as he spoke.

“Don’t worry I understand.” He smiles before continuing, “Here’s what I’m gonna do, I’m gonna go out there and calm down my brother. Just stand on the other side of the door and as soon as I leave, lock it. Wait a bit and the chaos will resume as normal, you can walk out after a while.” He says light heartedly. It seems like a pretty solid plan but you still ask. 

“You think that will work?” You say nervously. 

“SANS I'M NOT LEAVING THIS DOOR TILL YOU COME OUT!” Papyrus states.

“It’s gonna have to babe, paps isn't likely to take his eyes off of me for the rest of the night after this.” He whispers and sighs “I’ll see you around Ember, my numbers in your phone, by the way.” You looked at him confused but he just pressed his teeth to your cheek in a mock kiss and stood up. Turning around he looks back at you expectantly. So you nod and get up, ready to be behind the door and lock it as soon as he leaves. Sans waits till you're in position, then opens the door. Feigning a yawn, he calms his brother down.

“Alright, alright you caught me taking a nap pap you got me bro.” Sans says one hand up in defense, he steps out of the room and closes the door quickly. You lock it behind him swiftly and let out the breath you were holding. 

It seems no one saw you and now all you had to do was wait here until the drunk party goers forgot Sans was ever in this room. Shouldn’t take too long, by now, lots of people were drunk, including you. You took a moment to think about everything that just happened. Face flushing again, you get up and walk to the mirror at the right side of the room. You do your best to fix your hair by combing your fingers through it a few times. Your dress was definitely disheveled. You straightened it out so you didn't look like you ‘ _w_ _ent for a roll in the hay’_ , because well, that was _technically_ true. After all that you didn’t even get any, you sigh. Oh well, sure you were extremely horny right now. But getting caught in the act by Sans’s brother and everyone else at the party would have been so much worse. After you texted Adelya your whereabouts when she asked, a good amount of time had passed. You looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 1:00am and your first class was in 7 hours. You stood up and walked towards the door, getting ready to go back downstairs. You put your hand on the door handle. 

“Fuck it.” You say to yourself, “Maybe I’ll just skip the first class, blame it on not being able to find the room or something.” Before you could turn the handle though, a deep voice spoke behind you. 

“That’s _really_ not a good idea, my dear. I don’t think your teacher would believe such a _flimsy_ excuse for missing your first class.” A velvet voice states behind you.

Your body felt like it was frozen in place. You could’ve spoken if you wanted to. Instead of saying anything though, after your momentary paralysis you spun around quickly pressing your back against the door. Hands slightly braced for defense, your eyes were met with a flash of white and black as you focused more you realized what you were looking at. A white lab coat, over a black sweater. Your eyes trailed up and you were met face-to-face with the tall dark and intimidating monster from earlier at the mixer. Gaster. He had a stoic look on his face, his hands behind his back he looked so composed. You on the other hand; all you could do was start words but not finish a single one. 

“Wha-, di-, wai-“ you huff gathering yourself to try and speak once more, but he was quicker. 

“You may wish to address me as Dr. Gaster, if you want to be on my good side.” His curt smile was sinister at best. 

You were frustrated to say the least. You had three million questions and you weren’t afraid to ask them, though you knew you wouldn’t get answers for most of them. So you picked what you decided might be the most important few. 

“What!? How..!?” You knew how, teleportation, correcting yourself you continue. “ ** _Why_ ** are you _**here**_?” You raise an eyebrow after further composing yourself you say pointing at him “Aren’t you a teacher?” throw your hands up in exasperation finishing with, “ **What the _hell_** _!??”_ Dropping your hands you try to calm your heavy breathing, and he seriously scared the hell out of you! While you stared up at his face looking for answers, you could have sworn someone poured morphine into your veins. You were still dizzy from the alcohol. You wanted to continue to be upset, but calming waves of submission washed over you before you could retaliate any further. Gasters eyes narrowed as he stared calmly into yours. After you seemed to be done with your fit, he continued 

“For someone as bright as you are it is quite easy to mollify your soul, (Y/N).” He said factually, his deep velvet voice seemed to resonate with you. “Well I guess _that_ could be the reason for it.” He says seemingly evaluating you stepping a bit closer. 

“What the _fuck_ are you even _talking_ about?” You say genuinely confused, unable to back up any further against the door. Even though you were almost certain you could just leave; You were admittedly too curious of the monster in front of you to do so. Gaster tilts his head in amusement stepping closer, he’s definitely invading your personal space now. Now that you got a good look at him it seemed your almost ghoul-like assessment was seemingly accurate. He had skin, and lips, they were just pure ivory. You could feel your attraction to this looming professor like sins crawling down your back. His look of amusement only grew as your lewd thoughts of him raced in your head. Lifting his hands from behind his back he sets one to the right of you bracing it against the door. You notice the large holes in the palm of his hands. With one hand next to your head now, he lifts the other to your chin and grabs it firmly, positioning you so he can look into your eyes. This is the second time you've been trapped against a door tonight. Though Gasters movements are slow as if he is studying you. You have so many questions at this point your brain is overloaded on alcohol and confusion. All you can do is stare back into the eyes of the imposing doctor. 

“What an intrepid student you are. Though that comes as no surprise to me.” He chuckles darkly. His eyes were similar to Sans, but his were sharper and you couldn't look away. Your thoughts of his immensely sharp fangs from earlier being confirmed as you saw them in your peripheral vision while he talked. “(Y/N), you will _go home **now**_. You will _get sleep_ and you will be _on time_ to class.” He says grazing his thumb over your bottom lip. The demanding tone of the tall ghoul monster made you shiver. Only further reminding you of the burning heat of arousal you still had. This was it, you were going to die from being horny. Dr. Gaster leaned back, removing both his hands and placing them behind his back once more.

“Goodnight, _‘Ember'.”_ He said with a smirk, before slowly disappearing into black dots of static, then you were once again, left alone in the room. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song "I don't want no scrubs" was referenced here because I'm a dork. Were just two girls who both want to bone sans and Gaster way too much. Come along for the ride 😎


	2. The wonders of ancient medicine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My, you have such trouble keeping your thoughts to yourself, don’t you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short warning, Reader copes with stress through good 'ole sex drugs(weed only) and alcohol. She is by /no means/ a junky or addict but this is just a hair more than a reasonable amount of dependency people have. One thing I never like about reader inserts is they are always /too/ perfect. Also, if you've never smoked weed before here are some definitions for you <3
> 
> Hotboxing- , smoking marijuana or hashish in a small enclosed area, causing it to fill with smoke in order to maximize the effect.  
> Shotgunning- One person takes a hit of marijuana and holds the smoke in their mouth. They press their lips onto another person and open their mouth while the other person sucks the smoke in.  
> Enabler- a person who encourages or enables negative or self-destructive behavior in another.

Date - Sunday, September 6th. 20XX

Time - approximately 9:45pm

Location - MEU Campus, Student Union courtyard. 

Status - dreadfully bored and unimpressed. 

Dr. W.D. Gaster stood at the far left corner of the large Courtyard watching various new freshman file into the gathering. This was an annual event the university put together for the new fall semesters students. His imposing aura kept them all at a proper observational distance. Sadly it appears repeat exposure seems to lessen that effect. This was evident in the fact that a few of his fellow colleagues were talking amongst him. They’ve all met him and conversed with him before many times, although they respected his much valued personal space thankfully. Currently the only reason he was here, was to get an accurate assessment of any new souls entering the college. He knew not all the newcomers would attend this ‘mixer’ as it was referred to. Yet, he also knew a large amount would even if it was only for a short while. That’s all he needed though. He’s made this a habit, attending the welcoming event, for around fifteen years now. It had been precisely that long since he started teaching as a professor here. 

He gained his license to teach shortly after rights to do so we’re given to monsters. Naturally he swiftly passed all necessary exams. The rest was ironed out by the king. King Asgore, and the human ambassador who broke the barrier, worked hard to provide a learning space where they could all educate humans on monster kind. While mainly he worked here as a professor he did however provide his expertise over the years to some of mankind’s problems. He teaches a class in every academic subject here besides music and theater, which never managed to interest him. He had gained a certain reputation on this campus, he was aware of what he was perceived as. He supposes there are worse things to be called then an _enigma._

He was growing impatient this evening, however. As he could feel the presence of a strong, possibly interesting soul on campus somewhere he had yet to see. Gaster pondered things as the professors around him chatted. They may be comfortable approaching him, but thankfully they knew better then to start a conversation with him as he was scouting. His first failure of an experiment was here, how irritating.

When Frisk was old enough to attend this college, some of the monsters from his past that he had avoided efficiently, moved here with them to become part of the faculty. They insisted on sticking with Frisk as a sort-of support group. Frisk had even attended Gasters ‘understanding and analysis of monster souls’ course. Even when they had graduated, the monsters found they enjoyed it here all too much to leave, much to Gasters dismay. He had grown bored of visually dissecting the souls in the room. Satisfied with the amount of evaluating he has already done, he pondered making an exit. Just then, he felt the strong soul presence he noticed earlier in the day begin to approach. 

That's when _you_ entered. You had walked through the archway to the courtyard. Time seemed to slow down and that’s when Gaster saw it, your soul coming into view. You were trailing behind another female in a similar outfit. His boredom and irritation from before flew out the proverbial window. A deep anticipation grew in its stead. The soul he saw all those years ago in the void, had finally been delivered to him. A powerful bright red and orange balanced soul, and absolutely _riddled_ in betrayal lines. All wrapped up in a red dress. He let out a slow quiet breath, his hands slightly twitching behind his back. He tried to quell the adrenaline building with each slow breath he took. 

Her soul was awe-strikingly mesmerizing. The soul was real, _you_ were real; his vision was right. The gratification Gaster felt in that moment was equivalent to an exceedingly large injection of inspiration and motivation that pulsed through his veins. Finally, _finally_. You’ve made your grand entrance into his life.

His time here at the college had been minuscule compared to how long he’d been alive. Yet, in that moment, it felt like the last fifteen years had been centuries longer without seeing your soul. It had felt like he had waited eons for this, _for you_ . He had to get you alone, he needed to know _everything_ about you. However, he knew better he had planned this meeting out in his head countless times. So, he swallowed his exhilaration, and focused on what you were doing at this moment. Choosing to observe you in this neutral environment, all he could do was stay still and keep up his normal façade. You appeared to be getting a drink; the other female that accompanied you to the mixer spoke to you, briefly then left you in your spot by the table. Now alone, you began surveying the room how… comparable, he thought. 

Before you could see him staring however, he looked away. He had too much experience in this kind of game to be caught staring so easily, he decided it would be much better if he just implanted an idea in your head to approach him. So, using the guiding light of your soul he tuned into your thoughts and subconscious with intent to send a subtle invitation for you to introduce yourself to him. However he had to pause, because what he didn’t expect was the images he was picking up from your wavelength. You were analyzing _him_ in detail, how ironic. 

He takes a moment to listen to your thoughts of him. Even more interesting is your thoughts spiraled from interest, to attraction to lust. _Interesting_ he muses, Gaster is curious what reaction you would have if he caught you staring. So he meets your gaze, and your reaction was impeccable. You were breathless, your soul visibly shuddering; similar to his reaction when he first laid eyes on you. The lights of his eyes dilated ever so slightly elated at your response. He could hear you begging yourself to calm down. So, before he let your gaze go, he summoned one of his hand apparitions discreetly behind you using it as a long distance signal boost to deliver a dose of his mollifying magic. 

Once it started to work and you were rid of worry, he assured your mind that he wouldn't be upset at your prolonged gaze. Then, he suggests the idea of you introducing yourself to him in your subconscious. With that he releases you from his stare and looks away. 

Gaster was still entranced by the woman. As her heartbeat was going back to normal, she distracted herself by singing softly along to the noise playing in the background. His abilities allowed him to hear your voice clearer than the vocals playing in the song. This was the first time Gaster could ever recall enjoying newer music. Watching your train of thought he sees visions of your trip here, and he picks up on a disappointed aura you’re radiating. He theorized you wished to be somewhere else. You fantasize about someone biting your neck. He gets an entertaining idea; playing off your risqué thoughts from earlier he has you visualize himself biting your neck. You ponder if his teeth are sharp like the incompetent skeletons. How compelling, he huffs quietly. Answering your question immediately he sends you the knowledge that his teeth are much sharper. To his delight he is getting the exact reaction he desired from your soul. Your two dominant colors humming and swirling around excited as you contemplate. Growing brighter with each thought of him. 

He could barely keep himself composed. You had finally made up your mind and decided to approach him, he braced himself. Before you were able to take the first step towards him though, you were halted by the vexatious skeleton. Staying patient, he stayed tuned into your mind to hear your formal introduction to Sans and he learned your full name. Something in his mind told him he had heard that exact name recently. Continuing to eavesdrop on your conversation, he learned the name of your friend, your age and your reasoning to be here. Finally you expressed interest in attending a party at that atrocious fraternity house. And to his agitation you seemed to be responding positively to Sans and his flirtatious demeanor. 

He just couldn't keep his composure any longer. So rather than ruining his life’s-purpose experiment with bad first impressions; he made the tough decision to pull himself away from your presence. Taking just a few steps, he disappeared into the void, taking pleasure in the fact your eyes lingered on him for a moment before he dissolved from reality. 

Gaster paced back and forth in his study, hands folded behind his back he thought of your name again and paused. Remembering a possibility as to why your name was familiar to him. You were a psychology major...he wondered if he could really be that lucky. Looking through his class roster he learned a remarkable bit of information. You were in his first 8am class tomorrow. _Well_ _now_ he had something to discuss with you then. He had a feeling you were going to be at that horrible frat house soon. Although, maybe he should give you a while to get distracted and brew over your thoughts of him. Not too long though, if you were there too late he would convince you to leave. He wouldn't, _couldn't_ tolerate you missing the first class you had with him. 

He could only stand a few hours away from you before needing to visit you again. He could see your soul from the outside of the frat house, he stood at the end of the block observing. Your soul was lighting up oddly. And it gave him a feeling of unease. He ported himself to the side of the house quickly, staying in the shadows undetected hiding behind the light of your soul. Tuning into your mind he heard Sans call you ‘Ember’ affectionately. The two of you were alone in the room upstairs, he didn’t like the implications of that. He waited a while for sans to leave, but you lingered alone in the room. He came here to the frat house to convince you to go home if you were still wasting your time here. Why were you still just waiting in that room? It was strange to him, but also gave him a perfect opportunity to talk to you.

  
  


Gaster wasn’t sure what he would have done if he stayed in that room any longer than he had. The sight of your disheveled clothing and flushed face started to turn a certain energy in his chest that he couldn’t identify, it was bothersome. He needed you.

* * *

  
  


When you got home last night Adelya gave you a disappointed look for getting drunk on your first day here but she understood. You really didn't want to be here, she was expecting you would party your sorrows away. She just hoped you got the worst of the first day blues out of your system last night. She had you drink water, and get into comfortable sleeping clothes. You passed out shortly after. You woke up to your alarm at 6:30am, you got a whole four and a half hours to sleep. Great. Hungover, Adelya handed you a Gatorade to drink and you down it gratefully, using it also to take an ibuprofen for your aching head. You hopped in the shower and thought of the events of last night. 

The chemistry between you and sans last night was so natural he was a smooth motherfucker, but you’ve never felt your heart beat as fast as when you looked at Gaster. You had been avoiding flirting with anyone the last few years, so you could focus on your dream. You were a shut in, unless you were invited to a party; if you weren’t at a party de-stressing you were home practicing. You didn’t have time for anyone else, you had been in a good amount of relationships before but they were just too much of a distraction. That said, the fact that the professor made your inner flame ignite for the first time in years, was a little concerning. You didn't know how Dr. Gaster got you so worked up, but you also remember suddenly feeling calm and comfortable when you observed him. It only made you want him more. Gaster started it, Sans made it worse, and you never got to finish. 

Sans just pushed your desire over the edge of your control after you saw Gaster at the mixer. Speaking of which you were still bummed about getting interrupted by Sans brother, you were so close to getting some from Sans. In high school you found out that It was a lot safer to hook up with monsters. Turns out that, because the physical body’s of a monsters are just solid projections of their souls, they aren’t burdened with the worries humans have about sex. Put simply, monsters can’t get STD’s. You had a cat friend growing up who in secret told you that in order for monsters to reproduce with another being, both parties have their souls out while mating. She was too embarrassed to tell you more, but thankfully the internet saved the day. You read how humans and monsters can successfully reproduce together, but both parties have to completely wish for and consent to the pregnancy to reproduce. Along with a bunch of other stuff about souls you didn't really understand. 

Still, simply avoiding the awkward moment of having to put on a condom wasn’t why things with sans went so well. It was probably because you were practically throwing yourself at him that made things easier for both of you. Stupid Gaster, you just wanted to focus on school. By the time you were dressed, and gathering your materials for your first class it was around 7:15am. You check your phone and notice a text from sans he had sent you around 4am

  
  


**_*sans*_ ** _\--hey hope you were able to get home alright, tried to find ya again but it looks like you left_.--

_‘Ah shit’_ you thought. You hoped he wasn't worried when you didn't respond. You quickly text back.

_\--Hey yeah I got home fine, sorry about not getting back to you. Still don’t remember when I put your number in my phone but, I’m getting ready to go to my first class right now--_

You lock your phone and put it in your pocket, you take a quick look at your schedule. Your first class is one you had to re-pick after your originally intended class for this timeframe got canceled. It sounded cool and was related to your major. ‘ _Psychology of human souls and their behaviors’_ it was called. You just shrugged and added it to your schedule. It’s not like you cared that much anyway. You took note of the building name and room number. You ate some breakfast, and started walking your way to class.

“Knox, 808” you repeat to yourself so you wouldn’t forget. Adelya made sure you were up and ready before she left for her class. Your walk to the Knox building was pleasant, passing a few sculptures and a small fountain. A relatively tall brick building with a nameplate, that identified it as the building you were looking for, stood before you. It was around 7:50am, so you hurried through the doors to find room 808. Up a flight of stairs was the hallway you were looking for, you could see a small number of people still filing in. You follow their lead and immediately freeze in the doorway.

“ _You have got to be fucking kidding me.”_ you mumble barely audible. Looming over the desk at the base floor of the lecture hall was Dr. Gaster. He seemed to be looking through a few papers. You immediately take out your phone and back out of the doorway, pretending to need to text someone in the hallway before entering. In reality you were checking your schedule frantically to make sure you were in the right class. When you looked closer at the schedule you were dumbstruck to see that, next to the building and room number, under ‘professor’ was printed ‘Dr. W.D. Gaster’. You clicked your tongue and took in a deep breath. Just your luck. A few people down the hall seemed to be the last stragglers, and you'd be damned if you were the last one in the class to arrive. So doing your best to accept this new revelation with plenty of determination and bravery, you quickly walk into the class. Heading to the far side of the classroom, walking past Gaster without so much as a sideways glance. You really can't afford to be distracted right now. You would have preferred a seat in the far back row. But the only ones available were in the second and third row. Third row it is, you decide and quickly take a seat. The lecture hall itself was a massive room with rows of seats each one elevated above the other in a mock auditorium style. The many seats are arranged in a crescent shape, matching the raised levels of the class. One large whiteboard centered for all to see on the ground level. Your eyes flash between the Gathering of students varying greatly in age, gender and race. The class was full, almost every seat was taken. You get out your phone to text sans quickly, he must still be asleep, he hasn't responded to your text from earlier. To be fair, he texted you at 4am, if you stayed up that late you would still be sleeping too, if you could that is.

\-- _you’re never going to believe who my professor is for my 8am. Thought you said Gaster doesn't teach first years?--_

You set your phone on silent, you really don't need to be embarrassed in front of the whole class if Sans texted back or anyone else tried to contact you during class. God your head was still killing you. You take out the water bottle you brought with you to take a drink in an attempt to rid yourself of the nausea you still felt. At exactly 8am, almost everyone in the class went surprisingly quiet. You’ve never seen a better behaved classroom in your life. When you observed people's faces though, almost everyone looked, tense. Finally allowing yourself to look back to Gaster, you see his gaze start from the far side of the room to your side of the room, making eye contact with you shortly before looking away. He took small steps away from the desk and towards the middle of the room, his hands behind his back. Even though he only looked at you shortly, you made sure your meeting glance was thoroughly skeptical. He seemed unfazed, but something in you felt like he was just floored over your current situation.

“Good Morning class. My name is Doctor W.D. Gaster, you may call me Dr. Gaster for short and nothing else.” he states firmly. You think back to last night ‘ _You may wish to address me as Dr. Gaster, if you want to be on my good side’_ he said to you.

“Please take note of the current seat number you are seated in.” Gaster continued, surveying the classroom. “You will keep these seats for the rest of the semester, this is not negotiable.” he said in the most intimidatingly kind voice you've ever heard. 

“Phones use is not permitted during my lectures. This is not negotiable. I promise you that I _will_ catch you so please don't insult my intelligence thinking you can get away with breaking this rule.” you were so glad you switched your phone to silent and had it in your bag before he had started talking.

“Cheating along with any unnecessary talking in my class once it begins are also not permitted.” These were generally understandable rules, you didn't get why people were so tense, he wasn't that imposing, was he? 

“Lastly, breaking any of these rules even once will lead to an immediate zero in my class, I will not hesitate to fail and remove you from this course.” oh, well that would explain it, harsh. 

“Although it appears most of you already have been informed of my teaching methods, If you have a problem with these conditions you may leave now.” no one dared to move. Gaster seemed to wait a moment, and when still no one moved to leave he seemed satisfied to continue.

“Good, let's have a productive semester then shall we?” Gaster made a small movement with his hand which summoned a hand apparition almost visually similar to his own physical hands. The summoned hand had a hole in the palm, but was more...skeletal in appearance. The hand floated through the air and moved to the board to grab a dry erase marker, preparing itself to start writing. 

“I'm sure many of you know that human souls have seven different color variations, each representing different traits.” You knew this, you like many other humans, were fascinated to learn this information when monsters first resurfaced. Human souls contained mixtures of all colors, but were predominantly one specific color. Gasters eyes flicked your way for just a moment, and only you seemed to notice before he continued speaking to the class. 

“Can any of you tell me what those seven colors are, along with the traits they represent?” Your head was still spinning. You’d rather give some try-hard the opportunity to answer. That didn't stop you from reciting the answer in your head though. _Red (determination), orange (bravery), yellow (justice), green (kindness), blue (integrity), cyan (patience), and purple (perseverance)._ You say to yourself. Although, you weren’t expecting a response. 

_(“Correct.”)_ You hear the unmistakable sound of Gasters velvet voice echo in your mind. You jolt up slightly moving to sit up straight. You _know_ Gaster had not said that out loud, because you were looking right at him when it happened. He had been choosing another student to answer his question. Lucky for them, they also answered accurately. 

“Correct.” He says out loud to the student, eerily close to the exact same way you just imagined in your head. You briefly wonder if he is messing with you somehow. Problem is you’ve never heard of any monster capable of doing the things that could explain your strange happenings with Dr. Gaster. Your sudden sense of calm you had when speaking to him at the party, that weird echo voice thing that just happened. _The constant horny imagery._ Maybe you were just overacting. Even though you always had these wild fantasies about him when you were around him, you knew those were all your fault. At the very least you _enjoyed_ thinking about him that way. You _knew_ your desire to hear him speak to you, and _just you_ was of your own volition. Your shameless sexual attraction was because you were the worst, you lamented. He was a teacher for fucks sake, _your teacher_ , you had to get your head on straight. Think professional. You focus on his stature and fluid movements as he spoke, your mind slowly wandering away from his lecture. 

You watch him command the attention of everyone in the room as you do so. Looking down at his desk in the room, you think of how wonderful being pinned to or bent over its surface by a powerful looking monster like Gaster would be. Your almost _certain_ he would be a _professional_ at fucking you. God, you're literally the worst, what is _wrong_ with you lately? You're never like this around anyone. You take a moment to pause but despite your attempt to reprimand yourself you just can't help fantasizing. His voice as he speaks is like being covered in a silky fabric woven with electricity. Why were you so tied-up on this monster? Tied up...huh…. _shit focus focus!_ You tell yourself. You're glad he’s not paying you any mind, even though you're sure you had a good poker face. It would only worsen your wondering thoughts if he made eye contact with you again. You would be absolutely _screwed_ if he wanted to ask you a question...okay poor choice of words. Annoyed with yourself at this point, all you wanted to do was focus. 

Request granted, your mind goes quiet. 

You blink quite a few times before evaluating what just happened. It was like someone flipped the switch off to your inner monologue. In fact the only thing echoing in your mind was the smooth calming voice of the professor, matching in time to the words he was saying out loud. It felt like gravity. You were reasonably concerned that something snapped in your brain. Before those thoughts silenced too. You didn't really want to question a good thing too much, so you resume focusing and listen. The fluorescent lights stopped hurting your eyes, and you felt like you could use more brain power now.

* * *

“So that said,” Doctor Gaster says, his subject was so close yet so far out of reach. As she sat distracted in the third row she began fantasizing and yearning for him. Gaster was more than pleased that his prey was so entranced by his calm professional demeanor. As much as he wanted to grab you and study only you and your soul in this moment, for now, he needed you to listen. So he answered your silent plea and cleared your mind, projecting his voice to grip your attention. Your reaction to his magic only further tempted him. Satisfied that his magic allowed you to focus on his lecture, without missing a beat he had continued to speak to the class, to _you._

“It would have to take those with a red or orange soul to be Determined enough to **A** : show up to the first day of class hungover and **B** : Brave enough to do so in **_my_ ** class?” He says addressing the entirety of the class. To his amusement, several students shrank down in their seats. He didn't even look at you, but you knew he was talking directly to you. You started to contemplate whether your soul was red or orange. So he answered your question, tacking on an extra comment for good measure.

_(“_ ** _Both_** _, my dear. My, you have such trouble keeping your thoughts to yourself, don’t you?”)_ He says to you telepathically. And he observed you freeze in place from his peripheral vision. Your hands turned to tight fists resting on the surface in front of you. You were confused, but he would explain things to you _eventually._ He used his magic to give you a sense of clarity to benefit you _both._ See, you were the only human to have **_forced_** **_your thoughts_** into **_his mind_**. How fascinating, he _has_ to know what makes you able to do so. He does and thinks all this without stopping his lecture as he continues to make his point to the class.

* * *

You _knew_ his comment had addressed more than one of his students, but you _also knew_ he was talking to you specifically. You were rather certain that this meant you either had a red or orange soul. Most humans never get to know their soul colors because most monsters need to pull your soul out in a confrontation to see that. A confrontation is either seen as an _intimate_ or _violent_ act. The rare few monsters that can see your soul _without_ pulling it out would not tell you because it was equivalent to seeing someone without their clothes. It just isn't brought up in polite conversation, or at least that’s how it’s supposed to be. So that said, you were very curious which core trait you were, orange for bravery or red for determination? That's when the phantom voice returned.

_(“_ **_Both_ ** _, my dear. My, you have such trouble keeping your thoughts to yourself, don’t you?”)_ The echo of Gasters voice returned to say in your head.

Squeaking internally, you took a deep breath. You may not have been the only one drinking at the party last night, but it was clear _only you_ were imagining his voice in your head answering your questions. Maybe it was just your desire to hear him talk to you in private again that caused this. Gaster just smirks and gives a huff while slightly shaking his head at the class.

“You can confess your sins after class students, but for now I think this is a great way to welcome you to my course, ‘psychology of human souls and their behaviors.’” Doctor Gasters nonchalant response to his students' delinquency did wonders to melt the tension in the room as he continued. 

“You see, if we can understand the reasoning and motive of the guilty parties, we may understand their souls better. What was it that led those of you afflicted by nausea and headaches this morning, to drink like fish last night?” If anyone else were saying these things it might be laughable. No matter how much more relaxed the students seem to be, (happy to not be kicked out of the class for partying) the respectful sense of severity in the classroom remained. 

“How does one choose the importance of education for future security, over their desires to rid themselves of the stress in doing so? It’s a great way to bring up the first subject I had planned to discuss this morning; hopes, dreams, desires, and their influence on the stability of human souls.” The phantom hand wrote as he spoke, and as the lecture went on your painkiller from before had fully kicked in. Your head felt better and you were able to concentrate easier. Your magnet attraction to Gaster aside, this was a class like any other and you were determined to do well. You only got distracted one other time when Gaster mentioned souls react most positively to _carnal_ desires, as a way to encourage reproduction. However, you were able to focus the rest of the time. 

You also made up your mind to confront Gaster, after class. What exactly _was_ he even doing at that party? You decided to forget about him invading your personal space, just in case you remembered things wrong. You _were_ drunk after all, and you weren't going to be the first to admit his actions provoked lewd thoughts in you. For that same reason you weren’t going to ask him about the voice in your head either just yet. You don’t think you can handle it if he was talking to you telepathically. That would mean he could hear the lewd thoughts you were having about him in class. You would die of embarrassment trying to explain that. Not to mention if he _wasn’t_ reading your thoughts, you would sound crazy for accusing him of doing so. It seemed to take forever for the class to end, but when the clock hit 9:30am Gaster spoke to dismiss the class.

“Please review the syllabus and notes I have assigned to you, you will all find that information in the inbox of your student emails. You are dismissed.” and with that the people around you gathered their things and slowly filed out of the classroom. Many people let out relieved sighs as they left, glad the class went without a hitch for them. With the lecture now over, you check your phone, turning the ringer back on, and see sans texted you back.

**_*sans*_ ** \-- _glad to hear you're alright. so you’re in the human souls class hu? that's rough buddy. tell ya what, i'll make it up to you with lunch. meet me in 303’s common room around 5 feel free to bring your roomie. i'm gonna get a few more z’s in now--_

He must have woken up and saw your texts, but this reply from him was a half hour ago. From what he said he’s probably asleep again now. You look up to realize you're the only one still in the room. The only one besides Gaster, that is. He is gathering papers as a few of his summoned hands are erasing the board. Well, it's now or never, you think. Standing up and gathering your things you approach his desk.

“Hey professor…” you start causally. He cuts you off to correct you.

“Dr. Gaster will do just fine thank you.” He says, still organizing papers, into a dark leather briefcase. You swear you saw a small smile on his face, but you couldn’t tell for sure and for some reason you could feel a sense of anticipation in the air.

“Right, Dr....well, um about that party I-” but he just cuts you off again.

“The one that caused you to be hungover?” finally looking up towards you, a small sense of relief washes over you with his gaze now meeting yours. He leans against his desk as he continues.

“Well I couldn't be sure you were drinking however, I think it’s safe to assume you were.” Stoic, calm, professional facial expressions. It was kinda pissing you off, and you didn’t even try to restrain your sass.

“Oh ….I see well.. “ you roll your eyes “That's juuuuust great. Can I ask what you were even-” he cuts you off for a _third_ time.

“Doing there? Valid question, I was simply at that _wretched_ place to retrieve an independent project that I’m working on now. _Someone_ brought it there, to that room. You just so happened to be in that room. I heard you speaking, I advised you accordingly.” He let out a small huff, a more obvious smirk on his face.

“It is amusing however, that your first class happened to be mine.” smug bastard, you thought.

Honestly right now, your blood feels like it's boiling. Sure you were mad he kept cutting you off but mainly your brain finally had time to process last night. Everything about this situation was getting you worked up. But mainly, you were embarrassed. Embarrassed that you got so hung up on something, that turned out to be some weird prank or whatever Gaster meant by his explanation. Embarrassed because he caught you at that party and upset he felt he had the right to tell you to go home. And most of all embarrassed that even now your heart sang when he was talking directly to you. Pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration, you start to mumble in confusion.

“Right, well… _great_ glad that was _so funny_ for you...” You huff, an apprehensive grin on your face. Gaster looked as if he was checking you out. Seemingly very focused on your every word. He opens his mouth slightly, using his black tongue to run over one of his extremely sharp looking fangs, a smug expression as you all but shuttered at his dominant display. You pause looking at him for a moment like a deer in the headlights. Your face flushed, you were worried he could hear your heart beating out of your chest right before the ringing of your phone snapped you out of your trance. You were _just barely_ able to break eye contact with Gaster. Shuffling through your things attempting to find your phone you finally grab hold of it in your bag, and you let out an exasperated sigh. You didn't want to cut this conversation short, but the caller ID said Adelya was calling. Besides, you embarrassed yourself in front of him enough the last 24 hours. So you’ll concede for now. 

“Sorry I just...I’ll see you later professor Gaster.” You withdraw from the conversation, choosing to swiftly leave the room, answering your phone while doing so. 

* * *

“Another time then.” Gaster says quietly to an empty room. If it were anyone else, Gaster would firmly correct their mistake of not using his proper prefix but you were you, and you were already gone. Not a problem, he listened to your thoughts this past hour and a half. He had an idea on how to _motivate_ you to say his name _properly_. His growl a deep and predatory one as he thought out his plan for you.

* * *

With your phone to your ear, you walk down the steps to the exit of the building, balancing your books and materials in your other hand. 

“Wassup Adelya?” you say, hiding your flustered state from your roommate on the phone.

_(“Nothing much Rockstar, how’d ya hold up in your first class?”)_

“Girl, you have _no idea_ how crazy things have been, I have to explain what happened to you last night first.” you laugh.

_(“Oh gosh okay, I just finished my class too so, just meet me back at our room then?”)_

“Sounds like a plan, see you in fifteen, I'm walking back now.”

_(“Cool, see ya then.”)_

  
  


On your walk back to your dorm, your headache comes back, and your fingertips feel like pinpricks. It's not unlike the feeling you get when your arm or leg goes numb from laying on it too long. As a kid you always called this feeling ‘tv static’. Ugh, you think back to Gasters' answer he gave you about the party. He said he was there to retrieve an ‘ _independent project’_ but that made no sense. Did someone prank him by stealing his project or whatever and hide it in the room of a frat house? That still didn't make any sense, you watched him disappear from the room, and neither of his hands were holding anything when he said goodnight and left you there. 

You stop walking for a moment. You just recalled that when he said goodnight to you, he called you by your new nickname, Ember. You had only just received it moments before earlier that night from Sans. No one else at the party even knew about your new nickname. What the hell was going on? You have more questions now then you had this morning. As you start walking again you try to change the subject of your thoughts. 

You wonder when the next time you'll be able to properly practice singing. You'll need a room with good acoustics that no one will be in, you know this campus just got a new large auditorium with a fancy new stage. Of course you weren't interested in going there, the theater students would be occupying it. Maybe the old auditorium would work? You could always ask sans about it. He already knows you want to sing professionally, so he wouldn't doubt your reasoning for wanting to use the empty space to practice. He may not be the best person to ask about it to, but you don't really know anyone else yet. 

As you walk up the stairs of your building to your floor you realize you haven't gotten to meet any of your dorm neighbors just yet. You should really do that soon. Before you could turn your key in the door, Adelya opens it and all but pulls you inside. 

“CHrist Adelya what’s going on!?” you yelp.

“You tell me! Did you fuck Sans last night or something!?” she says excitedly. 

“Wait what? Did you talk to him or something? Also volume please my head still hurts.”

You mumble.

“Sorry, sorry it's just you made it sound like something crazy happened to you last night, and I left you with the flirty skeleton last I saw you, then when you came back you just passed out.”

“Oh right that, and I was too hung over to talk this morning.” you sigh. Sitting down on your bed she does the same.

“So??” she makes a motion with her hands encouraging you to continue. You grab another dose of headache medication and quickly swallow it down with some water. Clearing your throat you continue to your eager best friend.

“Oh, well first no, me and Sans did not hook up...exactly.” you laugh

“Exactly?” she mimics questioning your meaning.

  
  


You spend the next thirty minutes explaining to Adelya everything that happened, or course with every detail you could remember. She was absolutely bouncing when you told her about the steamy makeout session with Sans. She knew it had been way too long since you were able to flirt with anyone. You avoided getting into anything romantic in the last few years. She loved your new nickname and insisted she wanted in on calling you Ember too. When you got to the part about Gaster at the party she froze.

“Gaster…..Like as in _thee_ Dr. W.D. Gaster!? Like as-in the _enigma_ of this university!?” She says shocked, but you just look at her serious face and laugh. 

“ _Ohmygosh stop_ Adelya you can not be serious, he is _not_ _that_ fantastic.” You continue to laugh yet in your mind you agreed, that description fit Gaster perfectly. Adelya’s face doesn't look amused, however. 

“I'm _serious_ (Y/N) I know you're not going to believe me without proof so here, let me show you.” She brings out her phone to show the college's website and goes to the professors descriptive pages. When she brings up Gasters summary she shows you something interesting. You grab her phone to look closer.

“Woah, he teaches a class in like, every subject, what the hell? How can one person know so much?” You shake your head, you didn’t doubt his intelligence for a second, you could see it in his eyes, but it was still definitely shocking. “It's impressive Adelya but being super smart and experienced hardly qualifies him as an _enigma_.” Adelya rolls her eyes and takes back her phone.

“That's just the first part, dork. It isn't about his experience, it's about other people's experiences they've had taking his classes.” she brings up a ‘rate my professor’ type website to show you his reviews. 

“The reviews are _all over the place_ people say he's anywhere from a tyrant to a miracle worker. Most people say any slightly stubborn or rude student will experience a living hell. Also, I’ve heard he mostly only teaches older students because he sees almost anyone younger as ‘not worth his time’. That's just a rumor though, I don't have evidence.” she barely stops to breath as she continues her rant. 

“The good reviews though are _crazy_! People say they've never been able to focus better then when they were in his class. A wide variety of students in all different classes have all said they were only able to unlock their full potential when they took a semester with him. He's the reason some people even attend this college.” Adelya rambled on, and you just listened, taking in the information before replying.

“Well, that would explain why the class was so tense _and_ why it was packed, no one left when given the chance either.” you said starting to understand. Everyone was scared but they all wanted to experience the ‘miracle worker’ professor.

“I'm sorry what did you say!??” Adelya responded “Are you seriously in one of his classes too?” she looks at you dumbfounded. You sigh and pull out your schedule to show her.

As she read through it she questioned you. 

“How did I not see this earlier?” She asks. You wondered the same thing too, but then remembered the cause of all this.

“Well, I was thinking about that. It must have happened when that one class I was in got canceled a week ago. The college schedule website sent me a notification. ‘Told me to pick another course, and the only choices were his class and one that sounded so boring I don't even remember what it was.” You revealed.

“B-But his classes are always packed! It's impossible to get in unless….” she started to trail off until she had an ‘ah ha’ moment. 

“Unless?” you ask.

“Unless someone backed out last minute, and you were just lucky enough to be online at the right time with a free spot in your schedule!” she laughs. “That's so awesome (Y/N)! You have to tell me all about it! Wait…” her face scrunched up in confusion. “So then, what was Dr. Gaster doing at the frat house?” she asks.

“Well….”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Compared to your 8am class with Gaster, the rest of your classes were less than uneventful. Per Sans invite, when 5 o’clock rolled around you and Adelya met him in the common room, then walked to the dining hall together for lunch. Adelya had the same questions as you about Gasters actions at the party. Sans was the only other monster you both knew who could possibly tell you about Gaster. You both planned to ask Sans if he had any possible answers once you sit down to eat. You were so glad college dining halls had food equivalent to a buffet then a high school lunchroom. You think you'd cry if you had to eat any more powdered mash potatoes. Thankfully you successfully escaped from them when you graduated high school five years ago. 

You got some heavenly baked mac&cheese and some chicken. Adelya gets fajitas and salad, sans gets a burger and fries with a terrifying amount of ketchup; life is good. You get a full glass of Dr. Pepper because you have a problem. Adelya gets blue faygo and she gives you a look that basically begs you to call her a Juggalo so she can punch you. You all pick a table to sit down and eat. Adelya next to you, and sans across the table from you both. You're the first to talk as Adelya takes a sip of her soft drink.

“Taste like miracles girl?” you smile and giggle as her face looks livid, she fumes back after swallowing her drink dramatically.

“I _swear to god_ I _KNEW_ you were gonna say something.” she laughs disappointedly. “Fuck you Ember, I’m _not_ a Juggalo. Anyway _you’re_ the one with the Dr. Pepper-Gaster obsession.” she says pointing at your drink, you freeze and sans almost chokes on his burger. It takes a moment for him to compose himself; he huffs in amusement at you two. Although, there’s something about him that seems on-edge. 

“I'm sorry what?” Sans says. “ There something you haven't got to tell me yet, Ember?” Sans face was much more expressive then what humans normally think of when they imagine a skeleton. The bones around his eye raised in question; a mock eyebrow-raising expression. 

“Uh, yeah actually.” you look at Adelya who seems only _slightly_ sorry. As you pick at your mac&cheese you explain, “So, um when we...lost... each other at the party last night, I was just chillin’ in a room, and Dr. Gaster just kinda showed up at the party.” You avoided saying anything about you and sans makeout session. Adelya already knew all the dirty details, but Sans didn't need to know that.

“Just showed up? At the frat party, you sure?” he said, confused. 

“Pretty darn.” you said hoping to give as few details as possible. Something in you was telling you not to tell Sans about the way Gaster got close to you. Your face heating up remembering the moment.

“Heh, Ember, doll, I would have sensed Gasters soul if he was at the party.” he says while shaking his head in disbelief. “The only one way Gaster could have shown up at that party without anyone else noticing is if…..” he trailed off. He would have sensed Gaster, _unless_ he was hiding behind your bright-as-stars soul. 

“He showed up in the room you were _chillin_ in didn't he?” He said flatly. Your stressed smile was enough to give Sans his answer. The vibe you picked up from sans was stressed and you didn’t like where this was going. Sans just sighed. Adelya was the next to speak.

“It was so weird! He told her to go home and be on time for class. Then after class this morning she asked what he was doing there and he said that he was only there to retrieve an ‘independent project’. That someone brought it there and she ‘just happened to be in the same room’. She ranted. You spoke up next.

“The thing is, he wasn't even holding anything when he left, so I don’t know if he was really ‘ retrieving’ anything. He also called me Ember. I was so confused ‘cause at that time, only you and I knew about that. I hadn’t even told Adelya let alone anyone else at the party.” you added on.

For a brief terrifying moment, the lights in sans eyes went out, both you and Adelya noticed this and paused. You're glad you didn’t tell Adelya the part about Gaster invading your personal space last night. You're pretty sure she would’ve brought it up to Sans, who was already clearly upset. Before things got worse, you decided to get to the point. 

“S-so we were just wondering if you maybe knew what that was all about.” you said a bit softer. Sans quickly recovered, lights back in his eyes he looked at you and chuckled in a slightly concerning way. He knew exactly what was happening.

“In my opinion, Gaster is a creep. He was most likely eavesdropping on our convo back at the mixer. That's how he picked up the nickname.” Sans leans back in his seat and sighs before continuing. 

“The only thing he cares about is rare subjects to study. He likes to mess with people cause he’s got nothing better to do.” He picked up his drink to take a sip, setting the glass down his hand lingering on the glass. 

“ ‘Most likely appeared in that room with you to antagonize you. Probably cause he thinks of _you_ as his new ‘ _independent project’_.” He stated, his voice dripping with disgust. 

“Uh ...what? _Me_ why me?” you questioned rather disbelieving of Sans. Your soul however reacted differently. Sans saw it as shock, but in reality you were excited by the idea. _Did you truly interest Gaster enough to become a fascination of his?_ Your heartbeat quickened. Sans gave a short answer to your question. 

“Like I said, it’s ‘cause he’s a creep.” Sans says rather convincingly. Adelya chimed in again.

“I thought all of Gasters ‘independent projects’ were all soul related?” she said.

“Yeah, emotionally toying with people and their souls, more like it.” Sans confirms

“How do you know that Adelya?” You say looking towards her, slightly concerned by the implications of what Sans just said.

“It's not private knowledge, it's on the internet. The only research and findings this guy ever does is soul related.” she informs you. “But I’ve never seen or heard anything about him messing with people.” She says confidently. Sans just sighs again he can’t get all upset with no proof to show for it. If only Gaster wasn’t so good at covering his tracks, he thinks. 

“Your friend is right, it is soul related, but uh, heh. This ain't exactly the kinda thing you talk about in a dinning hall.” Sans says dropping the tense atmosphere he created. You were just glad sans stopped being so annoyed, it almost triggered a panic attack for you. That said, you agreed to drop the subject.

“Sorry Sans, I guess i'll just figure it out some other time, sorry about making things weird.” you say.

“It's no biggie kid. I can let you know more about it later for sure.” He said, and winked at you. You smiled gratefully and nodded in return.

“So.” Sans started again “What's a Juggalo?” Adelya just groaned and you laughed, as you started to explain. Sans train of thought was somewhere else though as he pretended to listen.

Sans knew Gaster wouldn't do anything without him noticing now, he wasn’t going to let him get inside your head. He knew Gaster only obsessed over dim souls, the ones with betrayal lines. Sure his own magic wasn’t strong enough for him to _see_ betrayal lines in human souls like Gaster could, but Sans knew the only souls that _could_ have betrayal lines are dull ones. So, Gaster taking interest in you was concerning. Your soul is the _brightest_ he’s ever seen, it just didn’t make any sense. This was the first time he’s ever heard of Gaster showing interest in a bright soul. It made him nervous, he really didn’t want Gaster to tamper with you. You were special, Sans knew that without even having to look at your soul. But what was it that qualified you as Gasters latest experiment?

* * *

  
  


After lunch The three of you parted ways Adelya went to her last class of the day, and sans mentioned something about having to meet a friend somewhere. Adelya had an evening class at 7:00pm. So for a while, you sat in your room doing breath exercises and softly singing. You didn’t want to disturb your neighbors, but singing wasn’t like riding a bike, shockingly. Not that you ever forget how to sing, you can just lose your ability to do so properly if you don’t practice. 

You were too distracted by the tense conversation to remember to ask Sans about a possible practice space. However, you did just see him, so texting him about it right now would be out of the question. You didn’t want him to think you were too clingy, or annoying, you liked Sans. In Fact, you're pretty sure he would be your only outlet to rid yourself of all the sexual tension you keep building inside you whenever you think about Gaster. Wait, does that mean you would be using Sans? You tell yourself no, because you're attracted to sans too. Not as much as Gaster, but you wouldn’t get the chance to act on your lust for Gaster anyway, so it’s not a problem. 

At around 8pm Adelya’s comes back, the two of you spend a while decorating your door with your names. Adelya met the human RA for your building at the party when you were talking to Sans. She said they suggested putting our names on the door to everyone. Some of your neighbors already had put up their names. You agreed it made it a bit easier for people to find each other that way. So of course you put your name in bright red letters made from cut construction paper. Underneath your real name you used orange lettering to spell ‘ _A.K.A EMBER’_. Adelya had used an exact-o knife to carefully cut her name out of blue and purple construction paper in cursive. Using a gold metallic marker to outline the letters. You called her an overachiever, she didn't argue with it.

At around 11pm you're surfing YouTube on your phone while Adelya has already fallen asleep. Headphones in her ears, creepy ambience music on a 12 hour playlist. You have no idea why it relaxes her so much, but you’ve grown tired of questioning it. You would remove her headphones for her, or even pause her music once she’s asleep but she wakes up to the slightest touch, and the lack of post-apocalyptic soothing music would just wake her up too. It’s become such a problem she can’t sleep without it. Thanks to being up so late last night you're having a hard time falling asleep tonight. So you get the idea to take a shower, it might soothe the thoughts racing in your brain. 

Getting ready for a shower, it’s times like this you're glad it’s only a few doors down from your dorm. You won’t have to bring your clothes with you, especially at this time a night when no one will be walking the halls. You can just wrap a towel around you, shower, wrap it back around you and go back across the hall to your room. So that’s exactly what you do. Normally you would have brought your phone to play music, but with it being so late at night you couldn’t even sing in the shower in fear of disturbing someone. 

  
  


There were a few issues with showering late at night though. Like when you forget to bring your keys to your door with you, and the conveniently auto locking doors, lock you out of your room. 

_“Shit!”_ You whisper-yell. “ _You have got to be kidding me.”_ Here you are in just your towel, standing frozen outside the door. You had only a few choices. You could either pound on the door loudly so Adelya can hear you, disturbing everyone else and possibly causing people to come out and stare at you in the process. Or, you could walk just down the hall and hope the human RA was still awake, and that a quiet knock would be enough to get their attention. You opt for the latter. As you creep down the hall quietly you're relieved to see no one else around in the hallways. You reach the door to the human RA’s room and raise your hand to knock, but a note on the door stops you in your tracks. 

_‘I will be gone this evening, please see the other RA Sans. (down the hall to the left) or the front desk downstairs if you need anything, thanks.’_

“ _You have got to be kidding me.”_ You whisper for the second time. You have two new choices now. Go to Sans room practically naked and dripping wet, or walk all the way downstairs to the front desk where there will surely be people to stare at you. “So, _my choices are to be embarrassed in front of Sans or be embarrassed in front of strangers?”_ You whisper to yourself. You knew what you had to do, you just knew he was going to laugh endlessly at you.

Once again looking around every corner like you were playing some adult version of ‘pretend to be a secret agent’, you sneak your way down the hall, successfully ending up in front of sans door.

It had a single sheet of printer paper that simply said ‘Sans’ along with a poorly drawn self portrait of himself. Looking down at your feet a glow of soft rainbow light seemed to be coming from the gap under the door. You hoped that meant he was still awake. You took a deep breath and once again brought your hand up to knock on the door, you were a brave girl, you could do this. 

But you froze again, you sighed and whispered to yourself 

" _Not brave enough for this!”_ You said, yet you still didn’t move. This was a bad idea, you should have just stayed in the bathroom all night. Your thoughts started to spiral but before you could think anything more, the door to Sans’s room opened. 

“You just gonna stand there all day Ember or-“ Sans started until he actually looked at you, then he started sputtering and coughing on his words in embarrassed shock. He was wearing the same hoodie and shirt as you saw him in earlier but he changed into pajama pants.

“Shhhh _hhh! Sans oh my gosh quiet be quiet!”_ You whisper-yell at him. Noticing it’s rather cloudy in his room. “ _I just went to take a shower and got locked out, this is not a...I’m not...I didn’t do this on purpose!”_ You say, your face red as a red stop sign. 

“Alright... _alright I get it. You locked yourself out sure, just get in here before anyone else sees you.”_ He whispers trying his best to hold back fits of laughter. Annoyed with his amusement but really not wanting to be in the hall anymore you step inside and Sans shuts the door.

As soon as you step in the room you're hit with a strong smell of weed. It felt like you just walked into the most intense hotboxing session you’ve ever experienced. Probably because you just did.

“Sans. Holy shit. Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?” You look at him amused, still tightly gripping your towel.

“Why would I be?” He takes out a bowl he had in his hoodie pocket, lighting it with a lighter that he pulls out of the other pocket of his hoodie, and takes a hit. You kinda just watch him for a moment, a bit impressed and a bit dumbfounded. The smoke he inhaled slowly trails out of his mouth, and you admire his pointed canines again. For a brief moment you thought back to Gasters teeth you had seen earlier. Then Sans sends a smoke ring your way and you blink back to reality as it hits you in the face.

“I’m surprised the whole floor doesn’t know you're smoking.” You motion with one hand to the cloudy room, the other still holding your towel. You sounded awestruck at how he was getting away with this.

“Gunna snitch on me Ember?” He says playfully.

“No, of course not.” You laugh, “I actually want to know how you're getting away with this, but first- please tell me you have some kind of spare key to get me into my room. Or better yet maybe you can teleport me into my room?” You beg. 

“Nope, can’t teleport to somewhere I haven’t been, and I’ve never been in your room, sadly.” He said, winking. “As for the keys, only the front desk has those.” He says way to happy with that information.

“Shit, well could you go get them for me?” You ask.

“Why don’t you just use my phone to call Adelya and wake her up?” Sans says 

“Can’t, she’s listening to her music playlist, and her phone stays on ‘do not disturb’ till her alarm goes off.” You groan in frustration.

“You could always call her in the morning.” He says calmly taking another hit from his bowl, then setting it down on his dresser. 

“You asking me to stay the night?” You click your tongue in amusement. 

“Maybe.” He says letting the smoke out through his teeth; rummaging around his top dresser drawer before grabbing a large black shirt. He motioned it towards you as if he was going to toss it “Here, catch.” He says, as he does just that. 

Oh you catch the shirt alright, but by doing so you drop your towel. You squeak, only realizing too late what happened. Thankfully the shirt was _just_ large enough to cover your front when you caught it. Sans just howls in laughter. 

“You _jerk_!” You squeak, but you can’t help but laugh too. “Just...turn or something so I can put it on!” You say to him frustrated, but still giggling. 

“I guess if I _have to_.” He says as he dramatically turns around. You roll your eyes at him and quickly put on the shirt which appeared to be a large black t-shirt with a trombone graphic on it. The shirt went down to your mid thigh in length. Close enough. 

“You can turn around now, if you _have to_.” You say mocking him. He laughs again and turns back around.

“Listen, _I’m_ not the one going around naked getting locked outta my room, and freezing in front of peoples doors. You should thank me, that’s one of my favorite shirts.” He chuckles and points to the shirt as he says so. 

“Really? But it’s just a - oh...okay yeah I get it now.” You say smiling “Trom _bone,_ real _punny_ Sans.” He just gives you a thumbs up. You giggle. “ _Thanks_ , by the way, how could you even tell it was me?” 

“Darlin’, even with the door closed, I could see the light of your soul from all the way down the hall.”

“T-The light of my...you can see my soul?” you say shocked. Sans nods.

“Mn-hm.” He confirms with a smirk.

“That’s so cool, hey um… do you think you could tell me what color it is?” You ask a bit embarrassed. You know this is an intimate thing to ask outside of an educational setting.

“I _could_ …” he starts. “... _if…._ ” he trails off, picking up his bowl and what seemed to be a weed grinder on his dresser.

“ _If ??”_ You echo back, slightly confused but mostly curious. Sans just walks over to two large seat cushions on the floor, smirks and sits down on one, leaning his back against his bed comfortably. He taps the other cushion next to him.

“ _If_ , you stay and smoke with me.” He says. You sigh and look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It's 11:30pm. 

“I’d _love to_ , Sans, but I don’t want to be late for class tomorrow.” You whine. 

“Guess you’ll never know your soul’s color then…” he says teasingly.

“Alright, alright sure fine _if I have to_.” You smirk and walk over next to sans and take a seat on the cushion next to him. You sit leaning on your hip slightly, legs bent to the side. You held the hem of the shirt down as you did, once you’re sitting though, it covers you just fine. “I took a night shower in the first place because I couldn’t sleep. ‘n well, weed makes me feel either one of two ways. Let’s hope it’s sleepy this time.” Sans nods while he packs a fresh bowl. 

“What’s the other way?” He asks.

“Um well, it’s similar to when I’m drunk.” You reply. Not really willing to say ‘I get horny’ out loud. Sans chuckles, picking up on your meaning.

“I see...by the way, to answer _both_ your questions..” he says and you look at him confused, you only asked one you thought but he just continues. 

“Your soul is a mix of red and orange, never seen a more perfect balance. Can’t say your one or the other. And it’s bright _as_ _a supernova.”_ He motions his hand in a rainbow-type arch. You giggle.

“Aw you're just saying that.” You nudge his shoulder. You knew he was telling the truth, it only confirmed what you heard Gaster ‘tell you’ in class. You're reasonably certain now he is telepathic, the thought concerns you but you push it out of your head for now. Sans just shakes his head at your modesty and looks at you.

“Really doll, one of the brightest I’ve ever seen.” His smile is soft and sweet. Genuine. 

“Wait, you're serious?” You huff smiling flirtatiously, “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you got a crush on me and my ‘bright soul’.” You wink at him playfully. You didn't know what a bright soul really meant, but you figured it was a complement.

“ _Sense_ the moment I saw you babe.” He says looking towards you again earnestly.

“Oh really?” You raise your eyebrow, doubting, his pun going unnoticed. Head leaned back against the mattress behind him he took another hit from the bowl, letting out smoke.

“Really.” He smiles lazily. 

“Hm well, ditto.” You say playing with the hem of your borrowed shirt.

“You don’t say?” He says knowingly.

“Oh please it couldn’t have been that obvious that I liked you at first.” You huff.

“I have ways of seeing when your soul is... _interested_ babe. _”_ He shrugs matter-of-factly. “ Only to a certain extent that is.”

“That’s so awesome and embarrassing at the same time.” You giggle.” Although, it kinda feels like I can’t ever hide my thoughts n’ feelings around you then.” Just like Gaster you thought. He huffs, a bit annoyed. 

“I can't read your thoughts, only ever met one monster prick capable of that breach of privacy.” You didn’t have to second guess who he was referring to, even so, you weren’t ready to admit what that meant just yet. 

“I can make guesses on what you're feeling based on your soul reactions, though.” He smiles sweetly. 

“You don’t have to guess, you could just ask me how I’m feeling. In Fact I could tell you what I’m _thinking_ too.” He looks at us expectantly. “Cause I'm _thinking_ we have unfinished business.” you say flirtatiously. 

“Oh really? Babe you may have nothing but my shirt on your back, _but you still have a ticket to ride.”_ He says growling the last word, leaning towards you slightly, you giggle and push him back teasingly. 

“You're cute, really.” You say with an amused grin. “So what was the other question you were gonna answer?” Sans shakes his head and sighs, but passes you the bowl and lighter and explains anyway while you take a hit.

“About why I'm not worried of getting caught, my room is a sort of….pocket dimension.” He says calmly, but you're just even more confused. He elaborates further, “When my room is like this you’ll see lights under my door. I'm always here when the lights are under the door. But when I leave, or whenever I want it to, my room can turn into a regular dorm room. All the stuff I want to... keep hidden, doesn’t exist in the normal room. So when I'm gone I store my entire room away into a sort of ‘pocket’ in reality. It’s why there is no window in here.” After he explains this you look around, he was right there was no window. You didn’t notice it before. You do however remember the lights under his door. Exhaling the smoke you take a brief moment to note that this is strong shit.

“Okay…. that’s… crazy cool, but how does that explain not being able to smell the smoke in the air?” You ask him. You try to pass back the bowl, but Sans just motions for you to take another hit, so you do. Sans explains things a bit better this time.

“It’s kinda like a giant bubble, nothing gets past the bubble, even the smoke.” He picks up his phone and connects to a Bluetooth speaker in his room, he presses play on his playlist and the speaker plays a song by [ ‘The Weekend’ ](https://youtu.be/zxdSHfZFKkY) at just the right volume to vibe to while high. “It also works to soundproof my room.” He says. The bass comfortably thumps in the background. As you're holding in the smoke from your hit, you smile and get an idea to get him back for earlier, blowing a smoke ring right back at him. He blinks, but instead of laughing he just gives you a flirtatious smirk.

“That’s awesome!” You say, a bit giggly from the stupid strong kush. But when you notice his slightly mischievous gaze you have a feeling he’s thinking about something devious, the weed makes you relaxed enough to ask.

“ _Sans?_ What are you thinkin’ about?” You raise your eyebrow in a playful suspicion. 

“You know what Shotgunning is babe?” He says ever so slightly leaning closer to you. You knew exactly what it was. However, you had a feeling this would be more fun if you feigned ignorance.

“No, I don’t think I do.” You say sweetly, only to flip your voice inflection to a flirtatious one when you say “Why don’t you show me?” You say passing back the bowl and lighter to him. You would be lying if you said you weren’t eager to kiss Sans again. You had to bleed out your sexual tension and frustration _somehow_. 

“ _Sure thing doll._ ” he purred, seeming thoroughly amused Sans takes a hit from the bowl, releasing the carb he appears to breath in deep, you didn’t really care to question _how_ he was doing that right now. You were too caught up in the moment. He sets the bowl on the coffee table beside him, holding in the smoke he turns to you. He knew you understood what shotgunning was, because as he reached out to caress the side of your face you leaned in close. As you kissed him as he opened his mouth slightly for you to breath in the smoke, your tongues dancing through the kiss. You felt sans give a deep growl and you moaned back playfully in response. For a moment you wonder if you shouldn’t get distracted like this, but his hands are already down your neck and over your chest through your thin borrowed shirt. Sans pulls away to look at you, and you both let out the smoke in your lungs, the two of you slightly out of breath. You give a small eager whimper. He runs his hands down your waist before asking a rather important question.

“Are you okay with this?” He says, you knew what he was asking, and honestly you really wanted to get laid at this point, the anticipation was killing you. So you weren’t going to pass up his offer.

“Yes, definitely.” You say softly, and maybe a bit too quickly. “Can we move to the bed first though?” You say biting your lip. Sans smiles deviously, you watch his tongue dart out to graze his upper canines, _you can’t help but think about how Gasters are much sharper._

“ _Sure thing doll.”_ He repeats. With an excited growl he quickly lifts you up by your waist, and you give a surprised but happy squeak at the sudden movement. He moves you down on the mattress, quickly taking his place hovering over you. It’s at this point the haze of the weed hits you a bit, you only had two hits really, three if you count the shotgun. But the strength of the weed and smoke that was already in the room only added to the warm numb tingle you felt on your skin. It was just enough to relax you, and as it turns out, this time the weed wasn’t making you sleepy, you were definitely horny. Sans moves to take off his hoodie, setting it aside enjoying your impatient squirm beneath him. _You imagine Gaster stripping off his lab coat._

“You're so beautiful.” He says to you, reminding you of his similar comment he made to you just the other night. _You also remember the intimidating professor, who cornered you against the door._ Sans moved his right hand from under your waist, slowly running his hand up and along your sides. Leaning down to kiss you again, he runs his tongue along your bottom lip, then softly nips at it. You moan and through your kisses softly run your tongue over his teeth. _You wish that Gaster would have pushed you against that door and kissed you last night_ . Sans runs a hand over your soft legs and you shudder at the slight coolness of his skeletal hand on your warm skin. _It’s nothing like the heat you felt radiating from Gaster when he leaned in close to you, not as close as you wanted though._ He pushes up the hem of the shirt up to expose your chest. 

“ _You’re so soft..”_ he purrs as he admires your smooth skin. You take in a sharp breath as he leans down to your breasts, feeling his breath ghost over your nipple as he leans down summoning his tongue to lick nip at your sensitive buds. You let out a hushed moan, your back arching slightly in submission to his touch. _You wished you could fully submit yourself like this to Gaster._ Sans trails his softly glowing blue tongue down your stomach leaving small love bites down your body as he does. Looking up at you he doesn’t break eye contact as he moves down to your legs, spreading them and positioning his face between them. _You imagine the sharp gaze of the professor doing the same._ He runs his long tongue along the inside of your thigh, and you shudder. His eyes become half lidded as he takes in your reaction. Gripping your thighs a little tighter he finally releases the anticipation of the moment, by trailing his tongue along the folds of your sex. You tilt your head back, unable to control yourself, you moan about louder this time as he starts to work his tongue in circles around your sensitive clit. 

“ _Mhnnnn...s-sans…. A-aahh…”_ you whimper out encouraging him to continue. Sans replies by growling lustfully, his tongue was smooth and quick as it moved to find whatever elicited the loudest reaction from you. _You couldn’t help but think of Gasters inky black tongue doing this to you instead, it only excited you more._ Indulged into his movements, your thighs twitch, but he holds you in place. His tongue alternates between your clit and lightly inserting into your entrance. _You wonder how long Gasters tongue is in comparison_ ? _Probably longer._ The thought is just enough to start building a growing flame in your lower stomach. You wanted more, you _needed_ more. _You closed your eyes imagining a scenario where your professor was between your legs making you beg for him endlessly_. Your needy mewls were rewarded with Sans slipping a soft skeletal finger into your velvet walls he slowly thrusts it in and out of you. 

“Nnhg… _a-hh mhn~”_ you bite your lip as you turn to putty in his hands. You _tried_ to suppress the moans slipping from your lips, but he was making it impossible. _Your mind drifts to the dominating aura you feel when you're around Gaster, he would make you work for this more. You wanted to beg Gaster for this moment and many others so you could please him too._ You arch your back and throw your head back as you moan, while Sans swirls his tongue around your clit multiple times. He only hums in delight, enjoying that he’s making you come undone, unaware of your longing for him to be someone else. He adds another finger as he starts to slowly pick up speed thrusting into you. He continues to lavish your pussy with his hot wet tongue's attention. He simultaneously curls his fingers slightly as he does and you shudder and gasp as he brushes over a particular area that sends a shock of pleasure up your spine. His tongue moves at a pace similar to his fingers and you could feel the fire in you forming into a knot that builds a wonderful tension of pleasure. _It’s more of a wild movement, you imagine Gasters tongue would be more meticulous, precise_ . That thought sends a feeling of fire burning through your veins. That’s when Sans replaces his fingers fully with his tongue, pushing it further in your entrance, using his fingers covered in your essence to work your sensitive nub. Bringing your hands up to your head running your fingers through your hair you pant and moan with each thrust of his tongue. _You fantasize they are Gasters hands, pulling your head back roughly._ The movements of his fingers that quickly brushed against just the right spot to make you cry out, you were so close.

“ _A-ah~ ga- yes! I’m gunna~!”_ Gasping, you couldn’t contain your volumus moans, practically yelling. _You almost slipped, you almost said Gasters name, but Sans didn’t notice._ Eyes shut tight you came around his tongue, as he continued his motions helping you ride out your orgasm. He could feel your walls pulse and tighten pulling his tongue out just to give your clit one last soft lick. Sitting up slightly in a sultry voice, uttered his admiration for you.

“ _Fuck_ baby girl that was so fuckin hot.” He says licking the residual wetness from his face as he moved up to you like an animal stalking its prey. _You imagined Gaster would say something more refined._ You could feel the bulge from his pants press against your sex as he buried his face into your neck. You 're still panting, coming down from the high of your orgasm. He licked his tongue from the base of your neck up to your ear, where he nibbles at your earlobe, whispering to you. 

“ _You ready for me Ember_ ?” He said in both a tender and fierce way. _You wanted the doctor to be the one asking you that._ He started grinding his erection against your sensitive clit, making it hard for you to answer anything. You tried to swallow and calm your breath . _Imagining Gaster asking you that question only made you more excited._ You collect your thoughts enough to squeak out a response.

“Yes _please_ I want you _so bad.”_ You moan begging him a white lie to his face. _I just want to fantasize that you're someone else._ Sans chuckles rather mischievously and you feel him swiftly pull down the hemline off his pants. He shifts to grab his rather thick length, positioning it against you. You feel his slick erection glide along your folds, his pre cum mixing with your juices, you can hear the lewd sounds of your combined wetness. He teases your clit with his thick erection and you feel Sans teeth graze your shoulder. 

“I’ll make you mine.” He says in a somewhat raspy voice. _I just want Gaster to claim me like this._ You silently beg, but there was no one there to hear your plea. Then Sans bites down on the curve of your neck, teeth not sharp enough to puncture your skin. _You wanted Gaster to give you that mix of pain and pleasure._ Sans slowly eases the head of his thick cyan cock into your entrance. 

It didn’t occur to you that you hadn’t had sex in a while, and you hadn’t used your dildo much either. It hadn’t occurred to you that is, until, Sans who was most definitely the thickest you’ve ever had, was slowly thrusting into you. With each thrust he gave you more length. Thankfully Sans hadn’t been too large in length, or this would have really hurt. _You could use this to prepare for Gaster, you suppose._ You were lubricated and turned on but fucking hell he was thick and you found yourself involuntarily moaning more submissively. Sans now fully hilted, he released the hold his teeth had on your neck and moaned in pleasure of his own.

“ _Fuck babe_ your so _tight.”_ He grunted, you squeaked out a moan, trying to accommodate to his girth. _You wonder if Gaster could gain this same pleasure when thrusting himself into you. Did he think you were attractive too? You felt you needed him to want you._

“You..alright-...for- me to move?” He asked, barely keeping it together. You took a deep breath, relaxing yourself. You nodded and softly said yes to him. He was able to keep a gentle tempo at first but your mewls and moans seemed to make his hips go faster each time you gave one. It wasn’t long till he was putting more power behind his thrusts. _Gaster would have more restraint._ He grabbed your hips with both his hands, he moved so he could watch you squirm beneath him. It hurt but you refused to give in and admit it. You tried your best to work through the pain, panting and gripping the bed sheets as he fucked you. His tongue grazing his teeth, the view of you coming undone with each thrust of his hips was absolutely exhilarating to him. _Gaster would treat you better, you felt he would slow down till you were ready._ You could feel that pressure building again despite the pain. _The warm thoughts of your professor being more gentle helped you relax._ You could feel Sans breathing became heavier. He moved your legs on his shoulders, angling his hips to fuck you deeper. You felt more pain, he was too wild, but still you felt pleasure beneath the pain, so you relaxed into his brisk pace. He leaned down to meet your lips as the two of you kissed feverishly and sloppily, too distracted to care. Sans looked and acted more animalistic to you, the wild intensity exciting and terrifying you. _You were brought back to visions of Gaster one more._ Sans enjoying your moans of pleasure and pain and you got used to his size and pace. Your impending second orgasm was building at a faster pace, then after what seemed like too long, Sans thrusts became more erratic and he was swearing with each thrust.

“ _Nghhh…fuck babe, I’m gunna cum soon.”_ He says his thrusts become harder as he does. The knot in your stomach was ready to break as you were getting close as well.

“ _M-mm-me too a-ahh!”_ You say back, the haze of smoke in the air clearing as suddenly you reach the peak of your second orgasm of the night. Your head tilts back as you shout in pleasure as you cum. Your walls tighten around Sans and that sends him over the edge as his orgasm crashes over him in waves. He came inside you, and you feel the rush of his warm blue-tinted essence spill into you with a few final thrusts. _Your last thought is how you’re a terrible person for thinking Gaster should be the one taking you like this._ Sans pants over you, burying his face into your neck before he pulls out of you. Still shaking from pleasure, you follow sans guiding hands to move under the covers of his bed with him. The two of you lay on your backs panting. Sans fully satisfied at last. _You with racing thoughts of betrayal to someone you could never be with._

“ _Fuck_ that was…” you try to catch your breath, “-really something.” You finish. Sans chuckles softly before responding. 

“You seriously drive me wild Ember.” He says out of breath. You giggle at that. You almost want to thank Sans. This helped you realize a problem you were going to have to face again tomorrow. Gaster could read your thoughts. There was no way he didn’t know how you felt. You knew you were going to have to confront him, maybe apologize, and beg him to forget the whole thing. It’s not like he felt the same way. After a short pillow talk with sans, he set an alarm for you on his phone and the two of you went to sleep. Sans almost immediately passes out, the weed and exhaustion from sex start to lulled you fast to sleep as well.

* * *

You get a full 5 hours of sleep this time, before Sans alarm wakes you up. You use his phone to call Adelya immediately per the plan. She’s confused to find she has sans contact info saved on her phone, she didn’t remember saving his number. When she woke up she assumed you were in the bathroom, you told her to come over to sans door and to bring her bathrobe, saying you would explain after you two got back to your room. You grabbed your towel from last night, Sans was still asleep and when Adelya got to his door you put on the robe she brought you, leaving his shirt folded on his dresser. You texted him when you got back to your room, knowing he would still be asleep. You told him thanks for last night, and that you would text him later. You fully explained to Adelya what happened, she found it hilarious, but was glad sans was there to help you out. _‘In more ways than one.’_ She said teasingly. Well, better get ready for your second class with Gaster, you wouldn’t let anything interrupt you confronting him after class today you had to be brave, you had to be determined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone told me that its 'unrealistic' to fuck someone your second day of college. So, I guess I've had some unrealistic college experiences then >.>" Also reader is doing some shitty stuff here for sure, but like keep in mind we are setting up room for character growth and improvement for EVERYONE in the story <3
> 
> Not a ton of music this chapter but OOF get ready for the next one <3
> 
> Lastly, if your wondering what the Gaster in this fic looks like, he resembles closely to this wonderful image <3  
> https://www.deviantart.com/v0idless/art/Galaxy-Coat-Gaster-714418645  
> but I have a mini gallery with some other examples if you want  
> https://imgur.com/a/rRKyP1o  
> Now featuring teeth pics 👀
> 
> any comment is a good comment, we live for them ;w; see you guys again for chapter 3 next week! <3


	3. The Listening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know you wouldn't mean to Ember, but you never know what he's thinking, better to just tell him and be safe than end up a jerk, right?” Adelya assured you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i worked non stop to bring you guys two chapters, 54 pages of blood sweat and tears, fluff in this chapter, smut in the next ;w; enjoy lovely's <3

You and Adelya got ready and parted ways as usual. You're a woman on a mission today, you had to set things straight. You had to stop things before it got worse, before you got your hopes up. You had to tell Gaster to forget everything, so you could just... take this class in peace. That’s what you wanted, right? You had to stop this twisting and turning feeling in your stomach before it went any further and you ended up getting hurt. That’s what you’ve been doing these last few years, rejecting everyone and everything that tried to get close. This should be easy, you’ve only known Gaster for two days and you’ve haven't even talked to him more than twice. Honestly when you think about the short time span, the amount Gaster has been on your mind _has got to_ be his fault somehow. Either that or there was something seriously wrong with you, and it only got worse the longer you went without seeing him too. It’s like you felt a gravity dragging you into total submission around him, that had to be his fault, right?

  
  


Walking up the stairs to lecture room 808 you briefly remember how ridiculous it was that you couldn’t keep your mind off of Gaster last night when you were with Sans. Walking into the classroom, you quickly found your seat, only about a third of the class had arrived so far. Gaster was standing at his desk reviewing papers like yesterday, except at this moment, he seemed either really fixated on a single page, or frozen in place. Also, for some reason you felt a panic attack coming on, of course they always come out of nowhere, but it seemed like the dark aura you felt around where Gaster was standing was the cause. Maybe you’re just nervous, you can’t believe you slept with sans, wishing it was Gaster instead. You're the worst. 

You don’t regret wanting Gaster instead though, it was the truth after all. You need to stop before you get distracted, more importantly you need to test that theory first before you think about any more of this. So you decide to start rather accusatory right out of the gate, it’s all or nothing right? If you were wrong no one but you would be the wiser, so you look at him and focus, speaking to maybe just yourself, you say in your mind.

  
  


_(“Gaster, if you can hear me the jig is up, I know you’ve been reading my mind.”)_

But there was silence _._

_(“I know you can hear me damnit, I’m still trying to figure out where all of these things I’m imagining are coming from.”)_

More silence

_(“If you don’t answer I’m just going to fucking leave.”_ ) You attempt to threaten. You didn’t expect it to work.

* * *

Gaster could see you walking in, but what was worse is he could smell the skeletons' magic all over you. Gaster didn't know he could still feel rage until now. The thought that one of his faults was now trying to _ruin_ the only thing he stayed alive for, made him wish to rip through the campus to find Sans; and warn him to stay far away if he liked not being dusted. He knew he had to claim you before Sans tried to invest in you anymore. You were _his_ project and _only_ his, if he had to charm you, tame you, or take you like you so wanted of him, _till you screamed who you belonged to_ , he would. 

  
  


But he had to go about this carefully, he didn’t want to scare you off. Thankfully, you seemed to have the same strong desire for having him intimately as he had for researching your soul. You wanted each other in different ways of course. Or so he thought, but he could see no reason you both couldn’t get what you wanted. He had not entertained the idea of a mate in centuries, but he was confident in his abilities to satisfy you. Especially since one of his abilities only made everything you wanted him to do to you, that much more….enjoyable. And truly, you reacted so well to his magic. That’s when he heard you echo in his mind.

  
  


_(“Gaster, if you can hear me the jig is up, I know you’ve been reading my mind.”)_

Oh is it? He thinks to himself alone. He’d rather keep quiet and talk to you later. The more he talked to you the harder it was to hold back.

_(“I know you can hear me damnit, I’m still trying to figure out where all these things I’m imagining are coming from.”)_

That’s odd, is she accusing him of all her lewd thoughts? _Hilarious._

_(“If you don’t answer I’m just going to fucking leave.”)_ You threatened, and he just couldn’t hold back.

_(“My dear, do not be mistaken, I would say 90% of those visions were of your own mind, I was simply playing the game you started.”)_ He was being truthful when he said this, he would only ever encourage those thoughts she had in the first place. It only took a small suggestion here and there and her mind was racing with thoughts of him.

_(“You’ve got to be kidding me, so you can put images in my brain?”)_

_(“For the most part, I’ve only been answering the questions you’ve had about me dear. I may have inserted myself into your day dreams once or twice, it’s what you wanted, after all. Wasn’t it?”)_

She was silent, but he could tell she was upset with herself. He gave her a moment before continuing.

_(“Speaking of which, you seemed to be fond of doing that all on your own. It seems you just couldn’t stop thinking about me, even when you were with_ **_him_** _.”)_

_(“T-th-hat’s not fair! You can’t just… I mean s-stop getting in my head!”)_

_(“I know you want to talk to me about it. You wish to speak your mind, yes? I’ll make you a deal, meet me by the creek down by the hiking path later. we can discuss our thoughts on the matter.”)_ He chose somewhere quiet and hidden by the forest of trees, private.

_(“Only if you promise to not read my thoughts for the rest of the class, I need to think things over first.”)_

_(“Terms accepted.”)_ He never lied, he would give you your privacy. He would have to block out your thoughts too, not just avoid tuning in. But he assumed you would question him. 

_(“How do I know you aren’t lying?”)_

_(“I would never lie to you dear, I have no reason to, and you can hold me to that promise.”)_ He reassured her.

_(“I really have no choice but to trust you anyway.”)_

_(“Meet me there directly after class then.”)_ He tells you, tuning out of your frequency to give you the privacy you wanted. As the last of the students filed in for his lecture, he began the class.

* * *

_(“Meet me directly after class then.”)_

And the voice in your head went silent. Gaster still spoke, but this time out loud and to the class.

  
  


“Thank you all for being punctual. After explaining almost all the core traits in depth yesterday, today I will explain the most common and yet most rare soul type, determination.” He didn’t look at you, he seemed, tense and eager. No one else seemed to notice this. You thought you should listen but before you could, first you quickly went over things in your head.

  
  


You had to tell him that he needed to forget your lewd thoughts from before. You had to be stern and insist he stop _reading_ your thoughts. You knew you couldn’t stop having them, but maybe you could deal with it if he rejected you, you needed a normal semester. Everything you logically should say, made your heart hurt, he was just going to laugh, or chastise you. You didn’t know if you should even go to the creek trail, and your heart felt heavy. He looked at you in this moment, he seemed concerned. You assumed he was just pitying you, everything seemed so wrong with your thoughts even if they were the only seemingly logical response.

You finally started to listen to Gasters lecture. 

“Determined souls can be common in human children due to their naivety. Less common in adolescence and by teenage years the average percentage of determination drops to about 15% all together. This is because the life experiences in the human soul grow and change with our desires. As humans age they fall into the mindset that too much blind belief in everything going their way can have adverse effects. Few adults past the age of 18 have determination as a dominant trait in their souls. However, those who still do as an adult are not naive, on the contrary, they have most likely found a clear balance in their life and are truly capable of being so sure of their actions. Though it can be argued that some still blindly rely on that confidence and determination haphazardly, so it’s a dangerous and powerful core trait to have.” Gaster informs the class.

Knowing your soul color now, you listen intently. You're starting to learn more about yourself that you didn't know you would ever find out. 

  
  


“That said, what happens when things go wrong, moreover how can a soul be affected negatively?” He pauses summoning a hand to write on the board. 

“There are a handful of happenings that can affect souls both positively and negatively. As I mentioned yesterday, doing things you want to do and enjoy doing can be a method of ‘feeding’ the soul. For example the poetic phrases ‘listen to your heart’ or even ‘listen to your gut feeling’ or explaining something as ‘food for the soul’ are examples of how humans translated doing what their souls desired. This allows humans to keep their soul strong.” He says and pauses.

“Humans have known soul care for many centuries yet they seemed to forget their existence entirely.” He lightly huffed at that fact, before continuing. 

“However not all things we wish to do are logical and like anything else, indulging your soul too much can lead to negative results. For example, even though you may want to express what you're really thinking to someone you may choose not to say so to avoid conflict.” This comment made you worry he was still listening to your thoughts, but he seemed totally unfocused on you as he continued explaining. 

“If you throw logic out the window, and choose to speak your mind anyway, dopamine provided by repeatedly filling your desires can cause addiction to the high and can trigger what we call “soul burnout”. A relatable example would be when someone obtains a large sum of money or possessions. They own all they could ever want yet aren’t happy with any of it; the thrill and temporary rush of getting everything the soul desires presently wont last long. The soul will fall into a sort of withdrawal stressed state and soon your hopes and dreams become mundane.” He concludes. 

“Not that I’m stating money can’t buy happiness, it can for some of course, but only to an extent. It all comes down to how long that happiness lasts that is the issue, along with burnout, soul fading and betrayal lines are the other most drastic events that can hinder the soul.” He looks at you briefly when he says this, again no one notices.

“Soul fading is just what it sounds to be, the fading of the vividness of one's soul. Found in both monsters and humans souls fading can happen from constantly rejecting your hopes, dreams and desires. Those suffering from severe depression, anxiety and other mental disorders that cause confusion for emotions can be especially susceptible to fading.” Ah so all the problems you have, but Sans said your soul was bright so you didn’t understand. Was Sans lying, or maybe he was just wrong? Gaster continued and you listened intently.

“Unfortunately, this can’t usually be helped when it comes to mental illness. That said, a significant amount of people who struggle from these issues can in fact have completely vivid souls and not suffer from soul fading, so the two are not mutually equivalent.” He informs, _oh so you aren’t special there then_ , you think.

  
  


“Generally, less stress and the ability to understand and adapt to your surroundings can increase one’s chance at a ‘healthier’ and brighter soul.” He adds.

  
  


“In the most extreme cases soul fading can get so bad that the soul may lead to suicidal tendencies or worse, shatter. But that is a less painful experience then the other possibility of soul decline. Betrayal lines are the worst experience for humans to go through.” You’ve only heard of this once or twice, betrayal lines were supposed to be the cause of some mysterious disappearances all around the world.

“Otherwise known as ‘soul rejection’ betrayal lines as we know them, happen when the vessel not only continuously rejects the desires of the soul for a long period of time, but actively goes against the souls current wants when given the choice not to.” He pauses. 

“In other words, conscientiously being aware you do not have to reject your hopes and dreams, yet doing it anyway in almost a form of self sabotage. This causes the vessel of the soul to become, in a sense, structurally weak.” His summoned hand begins to draw an example image.

  
  


“Visually, souls with betrayal lines have vein-like roots of void surrounding the soul slowly leeching off the vessel's soul energy. Feeling the weakness and vulnerability the void that naturally surrounds a soul, begins to poison and weaken it. Betrayal lines are almost always accompanied with fading as well. In fact, I have only ever seen one case in my entire lifetime of a soul with betrayal lines but no soul fading.” He pauses, and you think how awful it would be to be in that kind of state. It seemed to you like, from what Gaster mentioned, that one case must have been an insane person. 

“This one soul being an extremely rare case, it is unheard of for a soul to be completely vivid with betrayal lines. This is because betrayal lines are more extreme then soul fading, they can cause sudden death or irreversible damage that always leads to a shorter lifespan. The worst outcome being the soul gets pulled into an empty void which takes the body with it. This can explain some unexplainable disappearances in both humans and monsters.” You think of how terrifying that would be. 

“It’s such a strenuous situation to put a soul through this ‘soul rejection’, it can only be slowed and managed by indulging in normal desires of the living, the things you enjoy immensely in excess for example. But as I said earlier, a proper balance is needed: Reversing the already dealt damage by betrayal lines is not possible or rather has never once been successful.”

You thought, if Gaster, this extremely intelligent enigma professor who is the most knowledgeable in souls, says it’s not possible then it probably isn't. However, for some odd reason, you feel like you could argue he was wrong, but what good could your opinion have on thousands of years of research? You laugh at yourself for being so optimistic.

* * *

Before you knew it, it was 9:30am, and Gaster had dismissed the class. This time, Instead of being the last one out, you were one of the first. You had to just rip the band-aid off here, so you could focus on healing. It was just a petty crush and this was just going to be a simple rejection, what had you so worked up? This wasn’t like you. You’ve survived years of watching someone you loved marry someone else so, what the hell has you feeling so vulnerable now?

You begin to walk the winding path of the inner campus, till it turns into a gravel path, and till that turns into a dirt trail through the forest. You remember checking out the creek once before when you and Adelya came to check out the campus layout in the summer. The two of you splashed around and found cool rocks; It was fun and made you feel like you were peacefully in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t hard to find, there were signs on campus that pointed towards the trail, however, it _was_ about a 25 minute walk. So deciding to just enjoy one of the many hiking trails around MEU, you took your time and walked at a normal pace, this gave you more time to think about how you were going to make excuses for your thoughts. You were also going to call Gaster a jerk for messing with you. God you hope he would actually show up, what if you were _hallucinating_ all of this? You can burn that bridge when you get to it. Right now, if you don’t try to clear your panic and you _did_ meet Gaster like this, it would only further your embarrassment. So you put on a pair of headphones, and after a few swipes you found the song you needed. You pressed play on the [ only song you know ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYBoNV-OW84&ab_channel=kkz) to describe being at a loss for words perfectly.

**_♫ Please excuse me, I'm not thinking clear._ **

**_It must just be stress,_ **

**_But I likely shouldn't be here, I'm such a mess. ♫_ **

You took deep breaths. You felt the audio of the music faze between your right and left earbuds. 

**_♫ I never really ever know what to say_ **

**_When all of my emotions get in the way_ **

**_I'm just trying to get us on the same page ♫_ **

It was a song for all misunderstandings, unease and tension.

**_♫ I always get it better right afterward._ **

**_When all the wrong impressions are said and heard._ **

**_How come I can never get the right words?_ **

**_I need to convey,_ **

**_Wish I could explain._ **

**_The things that I have to work out, ♫_ **

Best case scenario he thought _you_ were a creep, maybe he’s just toying with you because you were an easy target? You needed an explanation too.

**_♫ I don't feel right_ **

**_What has come over me, I'm about_ **

**_To lose my mind ♫_ **

That’s right, this couldn’t all be you, it had to be his fault right? If it wasn’t _all_ your fault you couldn’t just take _all_ the blame here. If he gets away with it who knows if he will ever stop, but did you want him to stop? You liked the feeling of interesting him enough for him to ‘play your game’. The chorus rings through your head, and you take a few more deep breaths. 

**_♫ Can I let the trees do the talking? ♫_ **

You look up at the now thickening crowd of trees, as you approach the start of the forest trail that leads to the creek. You're almost sure if the trees could talk they would be shushing you, an attempt to calm you down. 

**_♫ Can I let the ground do the walking? ♫_ **

You knew you had to keep walking you wouldn’t turn back, no matter how embarrassing this was going to be. No matter how unnerving having to cut him off, or explaining this all to him would be.

**_♫ Can I let the sky fill what's missing?_ **

**_Can I let my mouth do the listening, the listening? ♫_ **

The clear air around you is asking you to sing, so you do. You feel you're still far enough from the start of the creek, and you haven't seen Gaster on your whole walk here, you knew he could teleport, but he couldn’t just teleport this far could he? So you sing the remaining chorus.

_♫~“I never really ever know what to say,_

_When all of my emotions get in the way,_

_I'm just trying to get us on the same page~”~♫_

_♫~“I always get it better right afterward._

_When all the wrong impressions are said, and heard.”~♫_

You were oblivious to the tall monster walking behind you, the music in your ears and your singing too carefree to hear his soft footsteps.

_♫~“How come I can never get the right words?_

_I need to convay~ayy~,_

_Wish I could expla~~ain,_

_What I mean to say…..”~♫_

With a peaceful still in your heart, you removed your headphones and you prepared yourself for the worst ridicule imaginable. You did this so that whatever does happen, it may not be so bad in comparison. You had a dull ache in your chest, but you knew what you had to do, you were determined to be brave. You were at the creek and we’re about to walk over to a large boulder to sit on, that was until... 

“Interesting.” Gaster says. And you all but jumped out of your body. Turning around quickly.

“ **s-SO** n oF A BI-!“ you pause when you see its Gaster, and start to drag out the word awkwardly, 

“ _….iscut?_ ” you finish. Why did you care about swearing in front of him? Why did he seem so amused and straight-faced at the same time? ‘ _Fucking hell this bastard enigm-_ **_fuck he can hear my thoughts too_** _.’_ You were in front of Gaster for barely a minute, and things were already going _so well._

* * *

Gaster watched you leave class rather quickly. Your soul, ever vexing, surprised him in class today. As he promised to stay out of your head, he watched another long black betrayal line snake into existence in your soul during class. He was concerned but mostly infuriated over not knowing what you were thinking when that happened, _wasted data._ He would make sure he included that you could not request total mental privacy from him again. When all students had left his classroom, he followed the light of your soul, staying out of sight. He couldn’t be seen following you alone, but he didn't want to give you the chance to skip his meeting with you. He could tell you still doubted if you were sane, and you had a strong self denial, as he followed you further into the forest trail he saw you put on headphones and start to listen to music. It seemed to be calming your soul, he could tune into your headphones and he listened, then you started singing.

_♫~“I never really ever know what to say,_

_When all of my emotions get in the way,_

_I'm just trying to get us on the same page~”~♫_

His steps in and out of the void while following you became _less_ precise. 

_♫~“I always get it better right afterward._

_When all the wrong impressions are said, and heard.”~♫_

Closer to the creek now, he could have kept porting in and out of reality to avoid you seeing him, but you were _both_ too distracted. Gaster focused in on the betrayal lines in your soul.

_♫~“How come I can never get the right words?_

_I need to convay~ayy~,_

_Wish I could expla~~ain,_

_What I mean to say…..”~♫_

He scanned his surroundings from directly behind you, confirming both you and him were alone. He focused back on your soul and that’s when Gaster realized, your soul betrayal lines seemed to be pulsing and mixing with your excess soul light. They would mix, then _seemingly_ form into nothing before escaping in bursts of energy. 

“Interesting.” Gaster said. And you startled greatly. Ah, you had removed your headphones. You spun around, and tried to catch yourself from being crass, that was highly ironic, why do that when you were the one who desired him indecently? But still, he was surprised you did follow through and actually came to meet him here.

* * *

Before you could dig yourself further into a ditch, Gaster spared you the opportunity by speaking, completely ignoring your less than graceful greeting.

“I'm not surprised that you had enough courage to meet me here, many if not all would be too cowardly, you know.” He says after you catch your breath. 

“Don’t patronize me, and also just…don’t read my mind while we talk….you tell me what you want to say, so I can say what I need to as well.” You stumble out, fully prepared to apologize and ask for him to forget about things. Gaster just smirks.

“Well, last class you came in hungover, now today you come in with your soul gaining another betrayal line right in front of me. It seems you're heavily upset about something.” He admits.

You sigh “Yeah I am... I just… just… wait, betrayal? Y-You mean like what you mentioned earlier?” He looked surprised that you listened. That aside you can only concentrate on so much before exploding so you try and break things down one thing at a time.

“I don’t know what you're talking about, and you can explain that, uh, _should_ explain that after I ask a few questions first. Look, I don’t know how to go about telling you this.” You’ll always try and find a better way to say things. You’ll just have to say something and deal with whatever happens later. 

“So first, why don’t we start with the mind reading, can you explain your telepathy whatever you’ve been doing?” You figured this was a good place to start. Gaster raises his brow at you but flatly responds. 

“I can project images into anyone’s mind, I can also replay sounds and memory’s, including mine and others thoughts, into someone else’s mind. It works in reverse too, in a sense, I can push all thoughts and sounds out of your head so you can focus. That’s all you need to know.” He is totally hiding more to that and he is horrible at trying to disguise that fact. You briefly wonder if he actually wants you to ask more, but you have to focus.

“Okay then, now that _that’s_ cleared up, _why are you messing with me?_ ” You asked rather pissed off.

Gaster seemed to ponder for a moment, looking up in his thoughts, almost innocently, _almost_. Before he eventually looks back down at you with an allure that jumpstarts the kerosene in your veins, you didn’t want to panic. You prepared yourself for a rejection.

“You and your soul are a **_rare_ ** specimen. Your soul is an anomaly, put simply. First and foremost, it is made evenly with determination and bravery, _perfectly balanced_. Two important traits needed when reacting to the _types_ of thoughts you were having. So I helped them along to see the sparks of your soul as you reacted.” He says.

You didn't know how to feel, so you _were_ interesting to him? Although, he said he only messed with you to string you along? To rile you up? You start to panic, frustration builds.

“So Sans was right then, you’re just interested in _messing with me_ and my soul. Why, is it because my soul is bright or balanced or _whatever_ you said?”

“ _Just?_ ” He chuckles and your heart jumps, what does he mean, was there something else?

“Oh it’s _much more_ than that, but I would need your full trust and consent to show you proof, unfortunately. Of course I could just _tell_ you, on the other hand, I doubt you would believe me and with good reason, seeing as _only I_ can see them.” You would certainly explode without knowing information you didn’t even know you _needed_ to know a few moments ago.

“Try me.” You say, giving him a look that dares him to lie to your face. He smirks but nods before accepting your request. 

“It seems you were paying attention in class today, so then you remember my mention of my one and only encounter of a bright soul with betrayal lines, yes?” He looks at you while the gears in your head finally click.

“W-What? Seriously, me? There’s….there is no reason to lie about something like that is there?” you say to mostly convince yourself what Gaster just told you was true, and he doesn't interject.

“What’s wrong with me then? How can you tell without taking out my soul? Am I _cursed!?_ How do I fix... _oh god_.” You bring your hands to your head in a growing panic. 

“Y-You said in class t-that there was **no r-reversing** betra-“ you started to hyperventilate, god this was _not_ the time for a panic attack. Gaster moved forward closer to you, but you didn’t notice. 

“H-How am I going to get rid of them? W-what's going to happen!? Am I going to _disappear!?_ ” You start to fall into your own conversation with yourself, and you _would_ have started having a full blown episode right there, if it wasn’t for a light touch to the side of your arm. Suddenly you felt like you were given a strong dose of Xanax. Your breathing slowly returned to normal, like a still lake recovering from a splash on its surface, you blink. When you're able to focus again, you look to see Gaster has lightly made contact with you. 

* * *

Gaster watched in awe as your brain tried to process the information that he’d given you. Also, you may have started freaking out over the dangerous implications. For a moment Gaster was entranced by the violent rapid flashing of the light in your soul, whipping around like a frantic searchlight. Although, the building unease he also felt forced him to snap his attention back to you, only to see you losing grip. So he moved to lightly touch your arm, and truthfully he only meant to administer enough of his magic to stop you from panicking, but he may have given you a bit more than necessary. This would work in his favor though, you could now ask the other unavoidable question. He knew he would have to explain this too before convincing you to consider his proposition. 

* * *

“How did… _why_ am I not still freaking out…?” you look at your hands, your breathing stabilizing, calming yourself back down. With your focus returning, you look at him again for a moment, your attention switches to his hand slightly resting on the side of your arm. _Oh, he…? Did he do that then?_ You guess you should thank him.

“T-Thanks… but what just...what did you just _do_?” You ask simply. 

“In layman’s terms…?” He pauses for a moment seemingly finding the right explanation. 

“A kind of ‘sensory’ magic, and yes, before you ask, I _have_ used it on you before.” You were going to interject, but he just continued.

“You seem to have a rather high fluctuation of emotions.” He huffs as he informs you. He’s an arms length away, but you still feel he isn't close enough. This makes your mind wander to another one of your questions, if he’s making you feel this attraction. So you ask him.

“What is the extent of your sensory magic?” Your head, even though not spinning anymore, was still trying to form proper thoughts. Thankfully you were able to form this sentence decently enough to represent your confusion. 

“Ah, I assume, judging from previous thoughts I’ve heard you have, that you're wondering if I’m manipulating your emotions, yes?” He says, and you nod. It seems like he finds your question an obvious one, but he answers it anyway.

“No, would be the simple answer.” He tilts his head slightly, enjoying you having to accept yet another new wave of reality. 

You nod to yourself, your body knowing he was right before your mind, but when both parts of you came to a collective understanding, you cursed under your breath. You were really hoping you wouldn’t have to take the majority of the blame here, so much for that. Gaster, who waited for you to finish your thought first, continued to explain.

“I can only subdue and… _enhance_ physical response. The emotional pull you feel is entirely your own souls doing. And in my opinion, with your condition, I don’t think you continuing to deny that fact will help.” He smirks, and in your stomach you feel the beginnings of butterflies.

“What do you mean?” You ask, hiding your anticipation poorly.

“I mean dear, why don’t you answer a question _I_ have for _you_?” Without waiting for your response he continues, “For example, what has you _so...fixated_ on me, and why are you so insistent on trying to deny it?” Gaster with a seemingly ever-smug expression, moves _just a bit_ closer to you, but he _still_ _wasn't close enough_. You had to answer truthfully to redeem your pride before you had none left.

“I-I it’s not like I didn’t try to stop…” you started flustered, but accepting things as you now knew them, you continued differently. 

“Maybe I didn’t try hard enough…” As you awkwardly drag out your sentence, you couldn’t bear to make eye contact with Gaster right now. So, you look to the right of you, and focus on the forest floor. 

“I know it’s not acceptable, and...and I feel so….conflicted about everything involving you.” An impressive sentence to udder seeing how frazzled your beginning to become _again_. The ‘Xanax feeling’ of Gasters magic didn’t seem to help the burning feeling at the tips of your ears. You took a shallow breath before continuing. 

“Look, I...I know you're my professor, I must be...I mean _you must think I’m…_ ” you started to run out of words. You knew you had to get ready for rejection at this very moment. You could already feel the beginnings of humiliation tears form in your eyes. 

“So, your problem is that I’m your professor?” He asked slightly too amused for the mood of the situation. 

“Um.” Forcing the last few words out of your brain, “I-I mean... isn't that a problem?” You asked a bit shocked, he hasn't rejected you... _yet_. You couldn’t help but hang on to a hopeful thought, w _as he…? Maybe I’m thinking too much into this._ A war of contradictions forming in your mind, you didn’t know how to feel right now. Good thing Gaster seemed to have more to say.

“You're worried, because you assume I will reject the lust you feel towards me in conjunction with our current academic situation, and _not_ because of me, my reputation, or the fact your very _soul_ is in an _unfathomable state_?” Gaster responded to clarify. 

You nod to confirm, unable to speak, your stomach was twisting in confusion, he said you ‘ _assumed’_ he would reject you...where was he going with this? You were still processing things, even **_if_ ** your soul had betrayal lines, you were still here and your soul was still bright. Did that mean you’re okay? You also hadn’t even _thought_ to prepare for the direction this conversation might _possibly_ take. Gaster subtly shook his head, showing his amusement by giving a short low chuckle; he brought his hand up to just below your chin, and guided you to look back up at him.

“ _On the contrary_ dear, your **_specific_ ** cravings would only benefit us both…” he says with composure that largely outweighed your own.

_Did you just hear him correctly?_ Your eyes went wide in shock, and you blinked a few times in disbelief. This was really happening, wasn't it? This fantasized conversation of yours was seriously happening right now. That said, of course your subconscious response was a silent alarm of emotional adrenaline, It was going off loudly in your head, and your stomach was absolutely **_full_ ** of butterflies at this point. You still couldn’t speak, and your heart felt like it was just revived with a defibrillator. Silent as you were, Gaster continued to gravitate you further into this blissful abyss you felt, all while undeniably entertained by your shocked demeanor, a _sweetly innocent_ reaction to his words. 

_“If you still desire me so, that is.”_ He offhandedly offers to you, and you could almost feel his voice, smooth and on a frequency that seemed to balance the movement of the air around you. You’d think you wouldn’t be able to process this information, with Gaster touching you and all, but his calming magic only served to sooth you further. The feeling of any physical touch he gave you in this moment, lulled you into this completely consensual entrapment with him. You were focused on his every word, as if nothing else existed around you. 

_“Your soul,_ and by extension _my research,_ would _benefit greatly_ from a sort of _…”_ he trails his sentence off as his hand lightly moves down your neck in a gentle caress.

_“….agreement._ ” He says, and as he finishes his thought his hand stops right over your sternum. His movements purposely intimate, you're sure that you both can feel how hard your heart is beating. Your gaze on Gaster felt so matched, the rising and falling of your chest as you inhaled and exhaled, seemed in sync with his. His demanding gaze gave you no opportunity to escape, not that you even wanted to. Finally, like it was your only purpose, you responded to him.

“Research, right…” you briefly think back to what Adelya had told you, he only ever did research on souls, and you apparently had a rare one. It made this all make _a bit_ more sense. It was at this moment, that there was only one question left for you to ask. 

“What…. what would that agreement...be then?” Speaking softly, as if the birds around the forest would judge you for your ever growing interest. Gaster continues his persuasive tone as he replies.

“At its core, the understanding would be that I indulge you in your _desires…_ ” you almost didn't realize his movements as he slowly yet smoothly rested his left hand at the small of your back. “....and you would _submit to mine…_ ” he says with a new look you have yet to see from the professor. This particular expression though, was one that practically caused you to _forget how to breathe_. To you, it felt like he had the power of lightning in his alluring half-lidded eyes, and this moment felt exactly like the instance before two heavy magnets collided. 

“I….” you paused for just a second to gather your last few doubtful thoughts. 

“You would _really be okay with….?“_ You could only whisper to him, too caught up to finish the thought.

A few persistent worries were still able to float through your mind, ‘ _Were you really worth it to him?’_ and also ‘ _Did he do this with just anyone?’._ Yet, before your insecurities could consume you, Gaster used his left hand at your back to firmly and greedily pull you forward, pressing you against him before he spoke.

“It would be _easier_ to answer your question with an... _example, my dear flame._ ” He says in a lower, endearing voice, a deep rumble in his chest furthered the intensity of his words. He moves his right hand up your neck again and softly caresses the side of your face, coaxing you closer. His words and comforting movements allowed you to let go of any hesitation you may have had left, and you succumbed to his guiding advances. 

The next moment felt as if the two aforementioned magnets _finally_ collided. 

It took a second for you to register his lips on yours, but when you did, your eyes fluttered shut. The world of your inner thoughts and reality figuratively melted, a sense of relief washed over you and at the same time, you swear it felt like a firecracker ignited in your chest. 

You were exploding underwater, your overcharged energy felt balanced and for the first time in a long time, _you felt satisfied_. Every sensation of his tongue lightly grazing against yours was like the feeling of falling, or skydiving into something so dangerous; yet so ambrosian, that you just might become addicted to it. 

His kiss tasted of bourbon and it mixed with the flavors of your cherry lip balm. It sparked an electric sensation as your lips repeatedly met, becoming a sort of flint-to-steel reaction that lit the passion in the pit of your stomach. 

Up until now, you’ve been living like a landmine, ready to explode. But _now_? Now you felt pleasantly defused, and stable for _once_ in your life, you felt peace. You couldn’t help but let out a small, barely audible, sigh of pleasure. Your whimper must have been loud enough for Gaster to hear though, because it was met with him gripping your body tighter to him; his motions only becoming more intense as he did so. The simple display of dominance from him elicited in an eager response from your body. His hand trailed up the back of your neck and tangled into your hair and he secured his hold on you with the locks flowing from the back of your head. 

The switch from the soft to unmistakably passionate kiss added to everything. His motions made you feel yet another sudden rush of warmth as if he threw a lit match at a bonfire doused in gasoline. Your raging unstable wildfire, channeled properly into an effective controlled burn. He seemed to cool the once thought untamable, bubbling lava pool of anxiety, in you. At the very same the surface of a coexisting lake long believed frozen solid inside of you, began to melt. The rush of this freedom spread a new need through you, and had felt like it passed beyond the boundaries of your physical body. This moment was all you could concentrate on. 

* * *

Gaster had originally felt that kissing you would be the shortest answer, or maybe the best answer to convince you and calm your fears. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel another source compelling him to kiss you. He would also be lying if he said he wasn’t pleased that this moment ended up being longer, than just answering you normally, would have.

When your lips met his, it resulted in an unmistakable flood of chemical reactions in his brain. The exhilaration of finally closing the distance between him and you, gave him a familiar adrenaline rush, similar to when he first saw you. A heavy weight lifted off his shoulders with your kiss, the same weight that had only returned when he was not close to you. 

He only meant to convince you more with this kiss, but you equally entrapped him back with the same gravitation. So when his tongue lightly grazed your lips, then met to intertwine with your own tongue, your sweet flavor alone was simply enough to make him want more from you than just this. 

He had to restrain himself, you tasted like a sweet cream, combined with a subtle trace of cherry, and when you softly moaned under his touch, all the force in the universe couldn’t stop him from trying to somehow bring you closer. You were a weakness he didn’t know he had, and he gave a frustrated growl that the simplicity of this moment could cause him such a fever. He knew you were important to the future of his discoveries; he knew you were his magnum opus in the artwork of his entire life-research. Yet in this moment, it became clear to him however, that his interest in his research, more specifically in you, was not _exclusively_ a scientific one.

He believes you may have just awoken a desire in him, that he’d thought permanently dormant long ago. 

The sparks that your soul gave off only multiplied the more you submitted to him, as he guided you deeper through this kiss. Gaster knew there was more at work here and he didn’t have any explanation for it yet. For now, he indulged himself in this vulnerable moment. It was interesting to be unraveled for once, he mused, even for a moment, by the lips of his obsession. He was _her_ subject as much as she was _his._ His fingers twitched slightly in anticipation after that thought, and he understood himself well enough to know what this kind of fixation meant for him. 

He knew from this very moment on, he wouldn’t ever let her disappear; from both his grasp and from this very plane of existence. He refused to imagine her getting swallowed by the void. Because he would never let it happen, because you were **_his._ **

He wanted to do so much more with you, but he focused on restraining himself. If he allowed himself anymore of this, he would end up taking you with him through the void; somewhere where he could make you moan at _much louder_ decibels. 

Regrettably, he untangled his hand from your locks of hair he held you in place by, truly this was a grand test of restraint for him. He slowly retreated from the kiss, he didn’t have it in him to do so any faster, especially not when you gave a whine of protest at the parting of his lips on yours. You had been breathing in sync with him, he paused so you (and himself) could catch your respective breaths. 

He had been waiting far too long to find out everything about you, he was eager to find out every capability and every limit to your soul and it’s existence. The sparks it gave just in this moment alone, were better than any of the hypotheses he had imagined prior. He was forever fixated on his subject and the responses he could pull from her soul. His eyes met yours again, he couldn’t help but form a subtle, blissfully confused smile. While he wasn’t exactly sure of what happened to make this moment so exhilarating, he certainly wasn’t disappointed. You returned his confused smile with one of your own, a perplexed yet content smirk. The both of you still coming down from the obscure haze you had just been thrown into. 

For you, it had only been a few days, for him, it had been countless. He may be giving in to his unhinged desires, but his mental state wasn’t important here. It was the subject and her soul that needed to be documented, observed and protected, and he was the _only one_ who could do so properly. Thankfully, she had walked right into his arms all on her own. He can’t remember a single other time in his long life where things had been this easy for him. It was amusing, and as your composure returned to normal, you started to giggle, maybe you were a little lightheaded from his earlier sensory dose, _maybe_. Regardless of the reason, he must have found your laughter slightly contagious, because before he even noticed; he was softly chuckling too.

“What….what the...” she spoke first, understandably baffled as she continued to giggle more.

“What on _earth..._ ** _was_** that?” And for once, he could not answer her question right away, for it was something even he didn't know. 

* * *

  
  


You didn’t want to stop kissing Gaster, and when he pulled away you protested slightly. It ended up being a good idea however, because you apparently _did not_ breath enough through those heated kisses. It’s also entirely possible you out-right _forgot_ to breath the whole time too. The process of calming down from this earth shattering high took a moment, but then your attention landed back on Gaster, who seemed just as winded. 

  
  


Now, this whole moment was just _insane_ , but the one thing that ended up breaking your fixation on it? Was seeing that Gaster was **_just_ ** _as dazed_ as you were after kissing you. You just couldn’t hold back the increasing giggles forming in your chest from the absurdity of the whole moment, that apparently blindsided both of you. You may not have known Gaster for long, but everything you’ve learned about him up until now, told you that this was an _extremely unlikely_ reaction for him to have. You just had to ask what the _heck_ even happened. 

“What….what the...” you swallow a bit exhausted and start to giggle noticeably

“What on earth... ** _was_ ** that?” You ask for him to clarify. Gaster straightened his posture a bit, and seemed to clear his throat in an effort to focus on an answer for you. It only took only a short moment before he was able to compose himself again to speak.

“I believe that, _‘that’_ was an...acceptable answer to your question, my dear.” He runs his tongue along the surface of his left fang.

A carnivorous display that would intimidate you, _if_ you weren’t just making out with him. Anyway, you were too giddy to be irritated, and somehow his reserved response, regardless of sass, seemed so tender to you. Somewhat holding back your giggles you reply to your professor.

“ _Correct._ ” You say to only _slightly_ mock him, but the smile on your face gives away your not-so-secret impression.

Gaster rolls his eyes, but the playful sideways glance he gives afterwards clarifies he finds you amusing. He takes a small step back, so he can brush your disheveled hair behind your ear.

“I may have… _incorrectly_ adjusted your hair, my apologies.” He moves to lightly rest his hand to his chin in a contemplative gesture, but you could see the smile threatening to appear on his face. And now it was your turn to roll your eyes, he looked _rather pleased_ that he caused you to look like a hot mess.

“ _Oh my goodness,”_ You say feigning concern in a mock regal accent _“what ever will I do?”_ You jokingly lament, for a fun little poke at his admittedly attractive, ‘prim-and-proper’ way of speaking. 

You even go so far as to motion the back of your hand to rest on your forehead like you might faint, adding to the theatrics. You smirk up at him for a moment before bringing your dramatic hand to comb your fingers through your hair a few times to fix it, your mood stabilized with each pass. He just raises a brow at your sass. As you finish properly positioning your hair to fall against your shoulders, you finally start to put everything you’ve collectively learned and experienced about this situation, together in your head.

“Okay, so...alright, well… what if, _and I’m talking hypothetically here,_ let’s just say _If_ I entertain the idea of this, ‘ _agreement’_ as you put it.” You say looking at him hesitantly and you shift your weight to one side, your hands fiddling with the ends of your hair still. 

You rock back on your heels once before you pause, your head tilting slightly to the right and left in thought while you thought about the pros and cons of hearing him out further. He seemed patient with you as you took time to come up with your answer.

“Ya know there are a lot of questions, and other things that I would still need answers to, but also, plenty of things that just need more explaining in general, right?” You look to him for his answer. You wonder if he had thought all this out yet.

“I’m aware there is more to discuss, and I assure you I _have_ thought out any possible questions you may have.” He takes a pause. You were satisfied with that response momentarily and waited for him to continue.

“We will most definitely discuss things further, but not until you're certain that you are okay with the _base concept_ of the agreement _first_.” He states, you were more than okay with it, but he probably felt the need to clarify things to avoid confusion.

“Alright, sure, that seems fair.” you say, encouraging him to continue, and he does.

“Understand that regardless of your questions, the first condition will continue to stay the same, at least on my end, that is.” You nodded understanding, you don't see your conditions changing either.

_“That said…_ ” He trails off, bringing his right hand towards you again, it starts at your side and travels down to your waistline. You pause at his movement, preparing for another intimate advance from Gaster, but his hand stops at the phone sticking out of your front pocket. When he touches your phone, it lights up, and with that he moves his hands back, folding them both behind him. 

“ _That said?”_ You echo back, your eyes focused back on him, one eyebrow raised for an explanation to both his sentence and his tapping your phone. 

“ _That said_ , I will allow you time to think it over, my dear, before we discuss further details.” You nodded, this all sounded fairly well planned, and you were happy to know you could back out if you had second thoughts, not that you would refuse him anyway. 

“I’ll give you till midnight this Saturday, If I don’t hear from you,” he points to your phone, “I’ll assume our _conversation_ here didn't happen.” He said casually as he backed up slowly, he had to make it appear like she had a chance to refuse. Today was Tuesday, and he had given you four days to make a decision. It almost seemed like too much time. 

“You will find that my number is in your contacts now.” He said. Ah, that explains the tap to your phone a moment ago then, more magic ...or monster airdrop? The thought was amusing to you.

Looking back to Gaster you swallowed your excitement and nodded.

“Okay...I’ll take some time to think about it then.” You say confidently.

“Oh and, do make sure you're alone _when_ you're ready to call me, Ember.” He adds. 

He said _when_ , not _if_ but _when,_ he knew you would call, but you’ll be damned if you wouldn’t wait till last minute now. After seemingly hearing that thought of yours he smirks at you, then turns to disappear into blackness, leaving an echo of a deep chuckle faintly in the air. It was the only thing that reminded you that this all really just happened. You nodded to assure yourself, you knew what your decision was going to be, you just had to think of all the questions you needed to ask him first. His offer excited you, and you were brave enough to take him up on it; but you were determined to make sure this whole situation wouldn’t get in the way of doing your best here at MEU. There was plenty more you needed to discuss, other conversations to be had at another time. Speaking of other conversations, you had to have one with another teleporting monster you knew. 

* * *

  
  


Sans had texted you back later that night, thanking you for not stealing his favorite shirt. You told him you were no t-shirt thief. Stating that one time back in your city, some dude had been stealing shirts locally in order of size. 

_*Sans*-- wait, seriously? what happened to him?--_

He took the bait, you sent the punchline.

_\--Dunno, apparently he’s still at large.--_

After sending it and giggling in victory, you look over to Adelya watching a sheep monster youtuber named Watame, who was playing Minecraft. You sigh, you would love to just relax, but you had to fill in Adelya on everything that really happened between you and Gaster, including the events of today. When you asked to talk to her she paused her video and turned to you concerned. 

“Sure thing Rockstar, though...why do you seem so intense?” She said and she even paused the nibbling of her double chocolate chip cookie. 

“I've got some things I haven't told you about, cause well…I was waiting for more to happen before I did.” You sigh. “Well now, _a lot_ has happened all at once and you should probably know about it, being my bestie and all.” you finish, she stays silent till you paused completely for her response.

“Yeah I should, but it's okay Ember, just do your best to fill me in now.” She sighs but gives you a patient smile. However, as you began to unravel the true events of the last few days, it was clear she couldn't restrain her emotions well. As you got closer to explaining your final interaction with Gaster today, Adelya’s expletives got more and more frequent.

“Shut up.” and “No way!” and _“Seriously!?_ ” and lastly “HOT DAMN!” were among the most used as you went on. She even playfully punched you on the shoulder for not telling her sooner. Most importantly, you expressed how important it was that she didn't tell anyone about this, including Sans. She wasn't stupid, she knew what was going on.

“If that's true girly then all I ask is before you call to confirm your sexy professor reservation, is you have to tell Sans you're not gonna get with him anymore, I’m serious.” She said, she knew that you were nowhere near serious with Sans yet, but you should still clarify that to him now so you didn't string him along.

“I know you wouldn't mean to Ember, but you never know what he's thinking, better to just tell him and be safe than end up a jerk, right?” she assured you.

“I know, I know, it's just embarrassing ‘cause like, what happens if his train of thought is exactly the opposite? Like all he ever thought we would be is fuck buddy's? Saying I just wanna be friends is like accusing him of having feelings, if he doesn't its going to be _so fucking awkward.”_ you complain.

“Listen, you know I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. I'm just here to advise you accordingly, but trust me when I say this is _not_ a situation you wanna be in. I don't have to repeat what happened with the whole ‘you know who’ situation do I?” Adelya warned.

“Ugh, no you’re right, I blissfully forgot you've been in a situation like this before.” you say not wanting to think about _that guy._

“Learn from my mistakes Ember, don't willfully walk into this hellfire you set up.” she said sympathetically.

“Alright, fine i'll tell him before midnight on Saturday then.” you tell yourself this more than Adelya.

“You better not last-minute this shit I swear to god (Y/N), it's only going to get worse the longer you wait.” she said, attempting to be firm.

“You trying to be firm with me is like me trying to not sing along to music.” she looks at you daring to say what she knew you would. 

“ _Pointless~_.” You say in a sing-song voice, and with that, she whipped a Pikachu plushie at you, and the two of you chucked plushy’s at each other back and forth at dangerous speeds for a few minutes. Until, you almost hit Adelya's cookie out of her hand, the risk of losing her cookie becomes clearly too high, and she calls a truce. 

* * *

On Wednesday, after attending all your classes including your 8am with Gaster, you started sending puns back and forth with Sans with no real conversation subject in particular. You did notice however, that as soon as you left Gasters class, a weight seemed to weigh on your chest. The time you did spend in the class with Gaster this morning was surprisingly peaceful, he had further explained blue and cyan souls today, and it seemed he was respecting your space and giving you time to think. Although you didn't have too much to think about, you weren't about to pass up on possibly experiencing more of... _whatever the hell it was_ that you felt yesterday with him. 

Simply just watching Gaster in his element, effortlessly commanding the attention of the class, and saying anything he needed to convey with an impossibly perfect demeanor, caused your train of thought to derail. Gaster was able to convince you yesterday, in one kiss, that the further details of his proposition were definitely worth hearing out. You knew that he understood you couldn't commit to too much, you had your college career to focus on here, after all. You thought of the obvious benefits to being intimate with a professor; you were smart enough to know Gaster couldn't assure a perfect grade for you in more than just his class, and you didn't want him to anyway. Just because the lion of lust, that waited behind the bars of your soul, wanted to fuck him until you saw stars, doesn't mean you want him to help you cheat your way through college. You weren't the type to do something so cowardly, you were only here in the first place to secure your parents support after all. You only have to do well here so you can have the means to chase your real dream. 

That said, if you were going to get through the next four years, this exciting way to relieve stress with Gaster seemed better than any drink at a house party. When you thought about things though, Sans was a way to relieve stress too, a way to indulge in the temptations of relaxing and disappearing from the real world. That was the problem too though, see, you didn't _want_ to disappear; you _wanted_ your music to be on everyone's playlist, you _wanted_ your name to be unavoidable when someone brought up music. It made you weigh your choices between sticking to being around Sans, or risk alienating him just to hear Gaster out. So you had some serious deliberating to do. 

On one hand you had only known Sans for a few days, so it may not be fair to judge his character from only a few actions, but your time with Gaster had been just as brief. You’ll have to make an unfair decision either way; it was either you possibly make things weird with Sans for a bit, or awkward and stressful for basically three months with Gaster. Sans may have had a short temper when it came to Gaster, but no one would know about you and him besides Adelya, and you trust that her lips are sealed. You _did_ have a higher chance of stress by turning down Gaster than Sans. 

That wasn't the only thing that made you lean towards asking to be friends _without_ benefits with Sans. Mostly it was because his influence wasn't _the best_ on you, both nights you were with him you weren't responsible whether it was drinking, smoking, or just staying up far too late. Although, Sans wasn't the only one at fault here, sure you only went along with what seemed natural around him, but the fact was you didn't have sensible restraint for your vices around him either. 

You still wanted to be his friend, but to be _together_ with him would only amplify your destructive tendencies. Your reality of being stuck here at college, and the lack of sleep you’d gotten the past few days, had made you _so stressed_ . You were someone who always needed more sleep, and you hadn't even noticed your incredibly tense state, until you left it behind at the creek in the spot where Gaster kissed you. Plus, you promised yourself and Adelya, _absolutely no relationships_ your first year of college. Adelya was right, unsurprisingly, you needed to tell Sans you have to focus on college, not relationships. What you had with Gaster wasn't a relationship; _technically,_ it was a proposition and possibly an agreement but that’s it. 

You had to find a natural way to meet up with Sans, because just asking him to hang out with no purpose ‘to talk’ sounds awkward and imposing. On the other hand, walking up to his door to inform him seemed too _serious_ and would also require awkwardly walking away. Telling him over food at the dining hall would be awkward too, ugh you could just imagine it, _‘Hi Sans, I just want to let you know I don't want to fuck you anymore cause college is more important then your dick okay enjoy your burger, bye’_. Lastly, calling him on the phone or texting him the information was never an option, this isn't high school, and you aren't a wimpy loser who doesn't have the courage to tell someone to their face. Well, right now you only have the spirit to do so in the perfect setting, but it's better than nothing. Rather than sit around waiting for that ‘perfect setting’ to present itself, you planned to make one of your own. You could meet Sans under the guise of something else where the two of you would have privacy, and you could both naturally part ways _without_ pressuring either of you in front of other people. Good thing you already had a pretty solid idea, rolling your eyes and smiling at another bone pun he just sent you, you set your plan into motion and you text him back.

\-- _Hey Mr.Punny bone, can I ask you a question?--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\--ya just did... heh sorry, sure whatsup?--_

_\--could you find out if it's possible for me to practice in the old auditorium?--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- i could do that, if….--_

_\--You and your if’s….what's the catch?--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- me, my brother and a few other friends of mine are going to Grilby’s Saturday ‘round 8pm, you should come with us._

You figured since Sans mentioned others were coming that this wouldn't be a date thing, but just in case you add a condition.

_\--Sure, can Adelya come too?--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- you two are a packaged deal, so yeah--_

_\--you don't sound so happy about it haha--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- she's competition--_

You got a little nervous.

_\--Competition for what?--_

You braced yourself for Sans to confess, it takes him a few seconds to reply and it was a stressful few seconds.

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- i don't wanna sound like a jerk.._

Oh gods, oh no.

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- shes just much better at puns than you._

_\--oh, lol--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- why? ‘Dya think I meant something else?--_

_\--Nope! Gotta go for now, i'll let Adelya know shes superior and about Saturday later.--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- heh. kay, i'll ask around about the auditorium for ya’--_

_\--thxsm! Ttyl--_

  
  


Well, that could have gone worse, but your original plan was to tell him at the auditorium. Now however, you've doomed yourself to either tell Sans you cant fuck anymore before Saturday and make the meetup weird, or tell him right before you gave Gaster your decision. The latter would end up being only hours, or even minutes before your supposed deadline. You guess being so last minute couldn't be _too_ bad, Gaster did seem to pick up on your stubborn idea to do so back at the creek. Also, you guessed if you pulled Sans aside to tell him, and things got weird, he would have his friends around him to distract him. While you could just make some excuse to leave, Adelya would be chewing you out for procrastinating the whole way home. 

That afternoon, when Adelya and you had settled into your pj’s for the night, you told her about Sans invitation on Saturday. She was excited but of course asked if you had said anything to him yet, you told her no, and that you would try your best the next time you saw him. She just silently shook her head in response, she knew you were playing with fire, but she also knew she couldn't stop you; all she could do was just be here for you if you inevitably got burned. Her patience was rivaled by no one.

* * *

Early Thursday morning you got a text from Sans about the auditorium. 

**_*sans*_ ** _\--hey ember, i got good news and bad news. Whatcu want first?_

You figured you would start with the bad, it made the good seem even better.

\-- _Awesome,_ _hit me with the bad first then.--_

You text back and you wait for a reply as you're sipping your coffee, Adelya also gave you her leftover bacon she made for breakfast, she was a saint, she had also already left for her class.

**_*sans*_ ** _\--the old auditorium building is getting gutted and turned n’to more lecture halls, since they have the new auditorium now. so for now it’s locked and off limits._

Well shit, that sucks. But he said there was good news too right? So you ask.

_\--Damn, and the good news?--_

**_*sans*_** _\--_ _they aren't gonna do the renovations for another 4 months, the place is just locked up n’ sitting empty, powers on tho._

You're confused at how this is good news to you, and you reiterate that back to him when you reply.

\-- _and how exactly is this good news?--_

He replies with something very in character for him.

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- ‘cause it's only locked and off limits if your following the rules--_

_\--Is that so?--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\--m-hm. Meet me at the back of the building tomorrow ‘round 8pm ‘ish.--_

_\--Ah, so the plot thickens, are we gonna break in under the cover of night like a couple of lame criminals?--_

**_*sans*_ ** _\-- ;) --_

* * *

Thursday’s class with Gaster was _almost_ similar to yesterday, he was still keeping his calm composure and giving you your space. However, on top of your own daydreams as you focused on him, every now and then, you’d have flashbacks from a different perspective of your moment together with him in the woods. The only logical answer is that Gaster was imagining your kiss with him too. You knew however, he wasn't sending you the images on purpose to try to mess with you; because the sporadic visions had _also_ been accompanied with a feeling of irritation and desperation. That, and the second some images flashed into your head, they would almost immediately disappear; as if it wasn't intended to happen. You couldn't actually focus much on his lecture today, thanks to the emotional whiplash these images and sensations kept giving you. Does this mean Gaster felt just as anxious as you? Your contemplation of Gaster’s _possibly_ dwindling patience became a bit funny to you; he seemed like the most steadfast individual here at MEU, although you knew that wasn't exactly true either. 

Just like yesterday, as soon as his class let out, the heavy feeling that weighed on your chest returned. You tried your best to shake it and you and Adelya used the rest of your free time Thursday to meet your dorm-hall neighbors. The two of you chatted with a really nice, and very sassy, bunny monster named Haru. She was honestly really kind and she had a bunch of cool thriving plants in her room. You all exchanged numbers and Adelya really seemed to click with her over their similar background in dance training. Adelya had been trained in quite a few styles of dance, she started taking lessons when she was younger, from 7th grade, up until just a few years ago when she decided she wanted to go to this college instead. It was so nice for the both of you to find someone equally quirky, fun and wholesomely-devious as you both.

* * *

Friday morning though, your 8am lecture with Gaster was a bit more... difficult to concentrate on, no one else seemed to see how on edge he was, but it had been noticeable to _you_. To be honest, the constant flashes of your kiss yesterday made it hard for you to hold back your craving to daydream about him. His ability to restrain himself from interacting with you though, made you a bit irritated honestly. You had a fun idea to see if you could crack his composure, so you had decided to put more effort in your hair and [outfit today](https://imgur.com/a/BnxdRil). Apparently, your mission was successful, because not only did the flashing of images from Tuesday _continue_ , but as you focused on Gaster, they were _also_ accompanied by slightly blurry; yet _new_ visions that you could tell were definitely provocative. These scenes seemed more like things that hadn’t happened yet, _key-word being_ _yet_. Even though all you could recognize were partially blurry outlines that had faintly suggested your two body's together; you could feel the intimacy in their actions. Was Gaster really having trouble holding back his thoughts? It was a strange thought, but only gave you further cause for interest in what was going on with him.

* * *

When the rest of your classes finished for the day, you, Adelya and your sweetly-devious bunny dorm-neighbor Haru, got together to snack and listen to music in the common room of your floor. They relaxed and got into comfy clothes, and you switched out the jeans you had on for a comfy pair of high waisted leggings. The outfit you wore today was planned out, a cute crop top paired with the aforementioned jeans, you wanted to innocently tease Gaster _just a bit_ by showing up in the cute outfit. In hindsight it may have not been the best idea, judging by the way Gaster was slipping today but you'll be damned if it did not amuse you to see him frazzled. Although your pants were cute, and you could take off the awesome chain belt that complimented them, they weren't comfy to chill in, hence [ the leggings ](https://imgur.com/a/8SCdkYj). You honestly grabbed the first pair of leggings you saw in your drawer. When you put them on and realized they were the ones with the cut out sides you shrugged, you were only going to the old auditorium later. You grabbed an instant ramen noodle cup and left your room to meet back up with Adelya and Haru in the commons.

“Hell yeah girl!” Adelya says when you walk back into the room, bumping the side of your hip with hers and winking playfully.

“Your butt always looks so good in leggings~” Adelya compliments sincerely.

“You _both_ have such nice curves, I'm so jealous,” Haru says, “I feel so plain, wish I had more meat on me like you guys, than maybe guys would want to stick with me after hooking up.” she sighs.

“Nonsense,” you start, “you're fine as hell girl, all bodies are beautiful bodies, and if a guy can't see that, he aint worth shit.” you assure her.

“She's right ya know,” Adelya agrees “anyway, what really matters is how you ‘shake what your mama gave ya’ girl.” Adelya hip bumps Haru as well and you all giggle at her silly comment.

Adelya had designated herself as the DJ for your hangout in the common room today, so once you all made your food, using your Bluetooth speaker the three of you munched on your respective snacks while slightly singing and dancing along to her playlist. You were having fun and feeling care free, that is until Adelya gave you a devious smile, she smirked at you while she was looking through her phone, presumably to pick a song.

“Hey there friend, _what are you thinkin’ bout playing_?” You asked, amused but jokingly concerned at what song she was going to put on next. You know that look of hers always meant you were going to be the main subject in whatever joke she had planned.

When she selected a song she quickly locked her phone and returned it to her pocket, and shrugged, pretending she had _absolutely no idea_ what you were talking about. That was, until, [ the song she chose ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLTI2rWAlV4&list=PLVsFQvKEnCRB-eQSdmUlVnpzIUl1hWT8x&index=53&ab_channel=DavidGuetta) started to play.

**_♫~Docta docta, need you bad_ **

**_Call me babe~♫_ **

You stop eating your noodles and freeze in your spot, _she did not._

**_♫~Docta Docta, where you at?_ **

**_Give me something~♫_ **

Adelya broke out in a loud howl of laughter at you being so caught off guard, her hand rested on the table in the room, she was just elated by your response and was bent over laughing, using her other hand to clutch her stomach.

“T-The look on your **_face_ ** ! _Holy shit_ I so wish I had a mirror!” she continued to cackle at your expense. Haru was confused, and you gave her a shy smile, and gave her a white-lie explanation that was along the lines of ‘I once had a crush on my doctor a few years ago’ which seemed to satisfy her curiosity. Adelya simply nodded along with your coverup story, her continued laughter was contagious, but she still wouldn't let you turn the song off, in fact she started singing along. It was obvious she was trying to imitate you flirting with Gaster as she sang, her movements dramatic, her sass unmatched. 

♫~” **_I need your love_ **

**_I need your love_ **

**_I need your loving~!_ **

**_You got that kind of medicine that keeps me comin'”~♫_ **

Then Haru joined in too, ah yes true friendship. The two, absolutely thrilled at your slight embarrassment, sang in unison. 

**_♫~”My body needs a hero_ **

**_Come and save me!”~♫_ **

Their hip wiggles as they dance around you and your cup of noodles are too silly not to smile at.

**_♫~”Something tells me you know how to save me!”~♫_ **

The shimmying of their shoulders back and forth with each other has you lightly giggling at their ridiculousness.

**_♫~”I've been feeling real low_ **

**_Oh, I need you,_ **

**_to come and rescue me!”~♫_ **

You set down your cup noodles on the table, and give a heavy sigh. Adelya and Haru pause for a moment, giggling and looking at you expectantly. ‘ _Damn you David Guetta_ ,’ you think, _‘and curse you too Nicki_ ’, this song was just too damn catchy for its own good. You just couldn't refuse singing along to the chorus with them, who could?

**_♫~”Make me!_ **

**_come alive~_ **

**_Come on and turn me on!”~♫_ **

You were also legally required to dance with them too, of course.

**_♫~”Touch me, save my life_ **

**_Come on and turn me on!”~♫_ **

  
  


**_♫~”I'm too, young to die_ **

**_Come on and turn me on!~♫_ **

**_Turn me on~_ **

**_Turn me on~_ **

**_Turn me on~_ **

**_Ta-Turn me on!”~♫_ **

* * *

When the three of you were done snacking, and dancing to your soul’s content, you cleaned up your mess and went back to your dorm rooms. Haru said she had a few chapters to read in a book she was assigned in one of her courses, so you said goodbye to her at her door and the three of you made plans to hang out again soon. Adelya started working on some homework of her own, you on the other hand, had finished the few assignments you had gotten, including the one Gaster had given your class. He had assigned an essay on explaining both the positive and negative factors that could affect the human soul. He didn't give a minimum word count, but you were certain anything less than two pages would fail, so naturally you wrote five. The only thing you seemed to be able to do well in high school was write extensive, well thought out, and concise essays. That would bring the total amount of useful things you got out of High school to about….three, right behind the dance club Adelya used to drag you to, and the concert chorale you were a part of.

It was around 7:30pm at this point, and you had to leave to meet up with Sans, so you put your Bluetooth speaker in your bag and ask Adelya to wish you luck. She gives you a thumbs up and you return it with one of your own before shutting your room door behind you, making sure to have your keys this time. As you leave your dorm building to walk towards the one that held the old auditorium, you can't help but feel disappointed in yourself. You knew you couldn't tell Sans you didn't wanna hook up anymore tonight, because even if he was totally cool with it and with you wanting to focus on your studies; it would still make this situation awkward as hell, likewise if he did get upset. At least if you waited to tell him at Grillby’s tomorrow night, and he _was_ cool with it you would have the opportunity to show him your friendship didn't have to be awkward either. The two of you could just continue to chat and eat or whatever they had planned. You didn't know, you hadn’t been to Grillby’s before, all you knew was it’s a bar of some kind.

It was really only about a fifteen minute walk to the old auditorium, thankfully you knew where to go, because it was conveniently just past the building where your lecture with Gaster was held. Walking around to the back of the building, you checked your phone. It was 7:50pm; you didn't expect Sans to be on time, so you started thinking of what songs you should practice if he could get you in. You figured you would practice till around 10pm if you could, you knew you would be up late tomorrow with Sans and Adelya; not to mention you're going to need the energy to deal with whatever ends up happening. Scrolling through your collection of ‘karaoke’ versions for the songs you enjoyed singing the most, you decided you should start with a more tame song for a warm up. You settled on a song by your favorite artist, Lights, as your first pick.

  
  


You briefly think back to how it was very likely that Gaster heard you sing a few days ago on your walk to the creek, the song you were singing then had been one by Lights, too. The second one should be something that required a lot of breath control, you had not been able to sing loudly in a while and if you wanted to whip your voice back into shape. Truly there was only one artist who you knew that could challenge you and your lungs to a duel of breath control, so you add an Evanescence song to the line up. Amy lee was really the goddess of proper breath support. For your third song, you knew you should practice your higher register, so something by Ariana Grande would be good; that girl can belt like it's her job...well you guess it **_is_ ** her job, technically. You would also need to pick something to practice your lower register with too, of course, and almost any song by the band Breaking Benjamin would do for that, you decide. Finally, you’ll need a song from an artist with a little bit of all these elements, and you knew your voice would do rather well singing a song by Halsey for that task. You were going to repeat this formula to pick more songs to practice too, but you were startled away from focusing on your phone screen when you heard a snap.

Oh, it was just Sans, he was walking toward you and just happened to step on a twig that had been on your ground.

“Hey you,” you say rather softly, “ready to help me go breaking into school property before my first week here is even over?” you huff out a quiet laugh.

“I mean.. were we supposed to do something _else_?” he says as he approaches you, smirking at you playfully.

You really should tell him now, and you **began to argue with yourself like you normally do** in these kinds of situations. _‘Tell him now, damnit.’_

“ _Haha_ , I'm just here to _practice_ , ya know.” you playfully nudge his shoulder. **_‘I've already gone over this. My best shot at this is tomorrow night!’_** Sans just shrugs as if to say he didn't expect anything different.

“So, I'm guessing you’ve been in there before and _that's_ why you can teleport me in there?” you say motioning to the back door of the auditorium with a nod. ‘ _You fucking jerk, tell him! So what if things are awkward? If he gets upset with you now he's going to be upset either way.’_

“Whatever you say Ember, and yeah that's the plan, but just to let you know, I can't stick around to listen to you practice after I get you in unfortunately.” he says with a sigh.

“I gotta get back home to my bro, he’s making dinner.” He says, with a tender, apologetic look.

“Oh, well...that's okay, I'll... probably focus more if I practice by myself anyway.” you smile back understandingly. _‘Ugh you don't deserve his company, here he is helping you out when he has somewhere to be, and you can't even be decent enough to not flirt back.’_ **_‘I'm not flirting! I'm just being myself, and being nice, what's wrong with that? I still want to be his friend, I can't just start being a bitch to him!’_**

“Don't be too sad doll, I can hear you sing _tomorrow_ night.” he winks at you, breaking your attention away from the inner argument in your mind. You nod, before you realize what he said didn't make sense.

“Wait, but I thought we were going to a bar?” you question and Sans just smiles coyly and shakes his head, before he puts a hand on your shoulder, and then everything went dark.

“Shit! ...uh? Sans why is everything dark!?” you say in a pitch black surrounding, before you hear a click, and are suddenly able to see Sans again, but instead of a parking lot in the background behind him, there was a red velvet curtain instead. Sans lets out a chuckle at your short-lived panic.

“‘Cause’ the lights were off.” he says, still laughing at your sudden realization.

“Oh.” You look around with a shy sorry smile.

“Right, sorry.” You looked up and around, you seemed to be to the left of the stage, the curtains were drawn back and the lights for the stage were on. As you looked behind you out at the rest of the auditorium you noticed the lights in the main house/audience were still off.

“As long as you don't use the sound system, no one should hear you practicing here, but probably best if you leave the rest of the lights off just in case, don't want you getting caught.” he advises you.

“Yeah that sounds like a good idea, I really only need the lights on the stage anyway, so I don't trip on my own feet and fall on my face.” you say, and you both laugh lightly. 

“Yeah that sounds like a bad time, heh.” he puts his hands in his hoodie pocket, a relaxed look on his face.

“I'm really glad I was able to get in here, thanks Sans, I really appreciate it. Um, so...” you trail off, and your inner turmoil begins again. _‘Tell him for fucks sake it's not that hard. Just say he's a good friend, anything!’_ **_‘What if he ghosts me? What happens if this turns into another you-know-who situation? I really don't want that happening again.’_ ** _‘Forget about that loser, okay!? You’re being seriously pathetic right now.’_

“So…what did you mean by you ‘can hear me sing tomorrow night’? I thought Grillby’s was a bar?” you say, choosing again to avoid the inevitable. _‘How could_ _you_ _be a coward about this? Aren't you supposed to have a_ _brave_ _soul?’_ **_‘Stop freaking out! It's_ ** **_not_ ** **_going to help me_ ** **_at all_ ** **_if I have a panic attack right now!’_ **

“Oh, heh. Yeah, Grillby’s is a bar, a restaurant and a person, actually. Monday nights Grillby hosts a poker night, and on Saturdays, a karaoke night.” His smile says he totally planned this.

“Oh, that's...really cool actually, ya know, I’m looking forward to tomorrow even more then!” you give him a giddy smile to show your excitement, you loved any chance to sing karaoke with friends. And who knows? The fun atmosphere of karaoke might make tomorrow more fun than stressful.

“Good, glad to hear it,” Sans seems lost in thought for just a moment before continuing “anyway...I gotta get going, Ember.” Sans looks like he wants to say something more, but he just waits for you to speak again.

“O-Oh, okay yeah sure,” _‘Last chance!!’_ **_‘would you shut up!’_ ** ‘ _Whatever, jerk.’_

“I'll see you tomorrow, then,” he says, a hint of confliction in his voice.

“For sure, seeya, Sans.” you give him a soft smile, and by the next time you blink, he's gone.


	4. Mind Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He would return your ‘favor’ of making him wait so long for you, because now, now he would make you beg for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the blood sweat and tears of 6 days of almost constant writing ;w; I have a problem, and his name is Gaster, and i don't want a cure.  
> Also, yay Smut! Though, it's /little bit/ dub-con, just a warning.

Sans gave a heavy sigh once he was back in the parking lot, he wanted to ask you if Gaster said or did anything to you lately, but he didn't want to sound pushy or paranoid. He got so distracted when he first saw your ass in those tight leggings, he lost his train of thought, but at least your soul seemed perfectly normal, if not more balanced than the last time he saw it. He hoped that meant you were becoming more comfortable around him, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. There was no real sign Gaster approached you with a contract yet, especially since the first time he even _talked_ to you directly, you ended up going straight to him for advice. So you would’ve come to talk to him about it if Gaster _had_ approached you, _right?_ If you and your soul seemed normal, he could only assume nothing had happened yet. Sans would make sure it stayed that way. 

He couldn't confirm that Gaster was even interested in you as an experiment yet, but for once, he was grateful that Gaster was an emotionless prick. Thankfully, Dr. Creep _wasn't interested_ in physical connections with anyone, let alone romantic, so that's where Sans had an advantage when it came to you and your trust. Gaster _wouldn't,_ or rather, _couldn't_ get close to you in the way **_he_ ** had, Sans thought. So, no matter what Gaster may _try_ with you, Sans took comfort in knowing that you would believe him over that _creep_ if it came to it. You trusted him enough to sleep with him and If he told you to steer clear, you would, _right?_

Honestly, just the thought of Gaster messing with you ‘ _to find a cure’_ like he did with the rest of his _'independent projects'_ made Sans livid. You had too _perfect_ of a soul to be hanging around someone like _him._ That **_monster_** of a monster would find a poor soul unfortunate enough to have betrayal lines, and offer them money to be a test subject. His subjects would always mentally decline, and most of the time gain even more betrayal lines. The worst part being, he had all those poor souls sign a contract first, so _even if_ someone, _somehow,_ had solid evidence on him for the trauma he caused them, that and the king helped them keep quiet. 

Sans tried to confront Gaster, but all he told Sans was that the goal of his research was to ‘find the cause and _cure_ for betrayal lines’. What a fucking **_joke_** , he scoffed, even Sans knew that a cure for betrayal lines wasn't possible, and every piece of data _ever collected_ about them over _thousands of years_ only supports that fact. Sans knew that the _real_ reason Gaster conducted these research projects was because he only cared about one thing, _getting to watch people_ **_suffer_**. If Gaster _did_ want to proposition you to become another one of his unfortunate victims, Sans would **stop that from happening again.**

* * *

It was around 9:45pm, and to be quite honest you were _concerned_. Earlier today when you were singing along with Adelya and Haru, you felt like there was a hum inside your chest, at first you thought it was some new symptom to add to the _long list_ you already had when you experienced a panic attack. But then, when you should have, and almost did have, one when Sans dropped you off here, the feeling didn't return. You had only gotten through the first four songs you had planned, because every time you started to really get into the emotion of a song; involving your passion and feeling into your singing, the bass-like humming vibration in your chest would start again. 

So now you're sitting on the stage of a big auditorium alone, wondering if you had suddenly developed a heart murmur from stress. It consistently only happened as you sang, and you were afraid of what that meant. It didn't hurt, it didn't affect your singing at all actually, it felt like you were more enveloped in the music whenever it happened. You stood up and were about to call it a night, when suddenly, the heavy weight that had been with you for most of the day, lifted. You corrected your slouched behavior and sat up straight, It felt like a sort-of energy burst went through you, and you figured that maybe you could give your last song a try, just one attempt, with no stops. If the booming in your chest came back and you died from singing, then you went out the way you wanted to damnit. You gave yourself a determined nod, standing up, you turned your speaker back on and chose [ the last song you had planned](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJJ164iCcv4&list=PLVsFQvKEnCRB-eQSdmUlVnpzIUl1hWT8x&index=136&ab_channel=8DSongs). As your speaker started playing the first few notes you readied yourself to sing, with proper posture and your hand at your diaphragm you took a deep breath.

**_♫~ "_** _Are you insane like me?_

_Been in pain like me?_

_Bought a hundred dollar bottle of champagne like me?_

_Just to pour that motherfucker down the drain like me?_

_Would you use your water bill to dry the stain like me?”_ **_~♫_ **

You knew that as an artist it was important to connect with your audience, connect with their sorrows and struggles. To let them find comfort in knowing someone else may understand.

The hum started to resonate in your chest.

**_♫~ "_** _Are you high enough without the Mary Jane like me?_

_Do you tear yourself apart to entertain like me?_

_Do the people whisper 'bout you on the train like me?_

_Saying that you shouldn't waste your pretty face like me?”_ **_~♫_ **

You knew you didn't need drugs or alcohol to make you happy, but everyone has vises, yours happened to be lots of self destructive tendencies. You _could_ stop yourself, you just never cared enough to, what reason was there to? If you could still get your work done, if you could still do what was asked of you, why bother stopping yourself? The hum of bass-like feeling in your chest grew stronger, but you continued to sing anyway.

  
  


**_♫~ "_** _And all the people say…._

_You can't wake up, this is not a dream,_

_You're part of a machine, you are not a human being_

_With your face all made up, living on a screen..._

_Low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline”_ **_~♫_ **

You really never had the energy for it, for _any_ of it really, but every time someone would tell you that you were stupid to think you could ‘make it big’ or every time you wished you could escape and people told you that it was impossible, you knew they were wrong. You stayed determined, you knew that no matter how small of a percentage your possibility of succeeding was, you would make it, _no matter what_. 

  
  


**_♫~ "_** _Oh, ooh-oh, ooh-oh, oh,_

_I think there's a flaw in my code…._

_Oh, ooh-oh, ooh-oh, oh,_

_These voices won't leave me alone..._

_Well, my heart is gold and my hands are cold”_ **_~♫_ **

Your parents wouldn't listen to your dream until you proved to them you're not just here on this earth to do what they wanted. You had to prove to them you could do this _and_ make it as a singer/songwriter. _No matter what._ The bass feeling started to spread from just your chest, down to the rest of your body, but you still continued to sing.

**_♫~ "_** _Are you deranged like me?_

_Are you strange like me?_

_Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?_

_Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?_

_Pointing fingers 'cause you'll never take the blame like me?”_ **_~♫_ **

Your attention shifts to the events of the past week. You've only been here for a few days, and you've already thrown yourself into a mess. You are a fucking hurricane, but there is no stopping you now. You just had to pick a direction and you had to keep going. With Sans, you felt like you would run yourself into dry land, you felt like things would mellow, that you would die out. You couldn't let that happen. _No matter what_. It almost feels like the bass feeling in your body is spinning in a vortex of its own, but you're too determined to finish the song now to stop.

**_♫~ "_** _And all the people say,_

_You can't wake up, this is not a dream!_

_You're part of a machine, you are not a human being!_

_With your face all made up, living on a screen..._

_Low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline”_ **_~♫_ **

You swear as you finished the last chorus, you could feel a rush of energy leave your body, and you felt exhausted, winded even. You almost stopped, if not for an oddly familiar sensation of sudden peace that washed over you in the last moment. You were able to continue to the last part of the song, so you did.

**_♫~_ "** _Oh, ooh-oh, ooh-oh, oh,_

_I think there's a flaw in my code..._

_Oh, ooh-oh, ooh-oh, oh~_

_These voices won't leave me alone….”_ **_~♫_ **

You silently take the last short breath you needed to sing the final line, your voice _just_ loud enough for the imaginary people in the first row to hear.

**_♫~ ”_** _W_ _ell, my heart is gold and my hands are cold…”_ **_~♫_ ** **_  
  
_**

  
  


* * *

  
  


Wednesday: He could wait, she needed time and he could stay out of her thoughts.

Thursday: He could **_wait_** , sure while waiting, in order to focus completely on teaching his lecture (and keeping his outward composure) he had to constantly block the fantasies she kept projecting at him unknowingly. In the process _maybe_ a few of his memories would pass by his filter, to you, but he was sure to remove them before you noticed.

Friday: **_He could wait._** The vixen wore a distracting outfit; but he has kept his composure in front of more _life threateningly_ serious situations, when compared to your...exposed midriff and cleavage, your clothing scrap of a shirt, and the fact that he wanted to **_tear the rest of it off you_**.

On Friday, when Gaster had finished teaching his last class he decided to thoroughly grade papers from one of his other advanced courses to keep himself busy, (and his mind off you). The same ever persistent weight, that only appeared when you were not around, still on his shoulders; he teleported back to his study at home. He couldn't find it in him to be able to sit _still_ at his desk, and after pacing back and forth failed to instill patience into his veins, he resorted to pouring himself a glass of bourbon. It was already 9pm, so he supposes drinking is acceptable at this hour. 

The last three days had gone by _far too slowly_ for his liking. He found as the days went on, he craved the feeling he had when he was close to you, more and more. Yet, when he _was_ close to you, he had to restrain certain thoughts and desires _constantly._ They were desires that he thought himself incapable of having, let alone tempt him so severely like this. He felt lust a long time ago sure, but nothing like this. This was a body, mind, and soul craving that pulsed through his whole being. The foreign feeling vexing, yet all the more intriguing, a new desire to indulge himself hadn't happened in decades, and the thought excited him. His urge to study you and observe every fluctuation of your soul only intensified by the plague of desire he felt boiling to the surface. He had to control himself, otherwise he may scare you away the next time the two of you were alone together. That didn't stop his mind from wandering about what might happen if he _allowed_ _himself to have what he wanted_ but he couldn’t lose you, he needed this to be what _you wanted_ too. He would return your ‘ _favor’_ of making him wait so long for you, because now, _now_ he would make you **_beg_** _for him_.

Lost in his thoughts about you, he realized he had made the stupid mistake of leaving his briefcase behind, not that it would take any real effort to get it back. With that thought, he teleported to his office inside the Knox building. Grabbing his briefcase on his desk, he was about to go back to his glass of bourbon in his study, when he heard a faint melody. It was more like a pleasant toned vibration actually, and it was muffled but familiar; something in him compelled him to find the source. Feeling the trace of the vibration he sensed, he focused to find its source, only to find an interesting revelation. The vibrations weren’t in the air, they were being carried through the void, to him specifically. This meaning that, wherever or _whoever_ this tone was originating from, had a direct connection to the void. Being able to use the void like himself, to relay noise, would mean this entity could also harness, and to an extent, _use_ the abilities of the void. Only himself and his first creation could use the abilities of the void, and even then, all Sans could do was teleport through it. Gaster only knew of one individual who could communicate, harness and tune into the energy of the void, _himself_.

So, using his abilities, he connected to the source and location of the vibration he had sensed earlier, and teleported himself near to the source. When he arrived however, many things started to make sense to him all at once. _Of course_ **_you_** had been the source. If you had the ability to connect to the void, you were _most likely_ doing so through your multiple betrayal lines, and if _that_ were the case, then the void wasn't pulling energy ** _from you_** , rather, **_you_** were pulling energy **_from it_** _._

Gaster made this revelation about you silently when he arrived backstage in the old auditorium, and he continued to stay quiet as he observed you. He also noted that the moment he arrived in your presence the heavy weight on his shoulders lifted immediately. It only made solving one mystery about you more gratifying. You stood up, brushed yourself off slightly and seemed to fiddle with the speaker on the ground next to you. Instrumental music started to spill out from the speaker, and he wasn't really prepared for what he experienced next.

  
  


As you began to sing, the hum he had heard returned. But this time instead of just being a pleasant melody, each lyric you caressed with your voice sent sensations through his body. He found himself feeling _emotionally_ _drawn_ to you, your voice, your movements, the light of your soul had seemed to almost engulf the darkness of your betrayal lines. The void would fight back, and your soul only fought back even harder in response. Gaster found some music pleasant enough, but he stopped caring to listen to any new music long before he fell into the core. Now? Now he is finding himself asking how he went all these years without hearing this melody. He memorized every word that left your lips. It couldn't have been the song that was affecting him like this, that made no sense, it _must_ have been _you_ and your anomaly of a soul. He surrendered to your siren song and his impatient lust almost seemed to be thoroughly soothed. As you continued to quickly burn soul energy to project your voice into the void, and by extension to him, he could see your soul was showing the beginning signs of soul exhaustion. Without proper knowledge on how to balance and control the abilities of the void, you were like an overworked power outlet, pulling in and putting out more energy than your body could withstand.

From what he knew, this was not _normally_ how soul exhaustion works, but realistically he knew that both physically and soul wise, exhaustion was sure to happen soon, with this much energy flowing through only one vessel it was unavoidable. If he could _feel_ this hypnotic melody you were projecting through the void, then you had to be using up a _very large_ amount of soul energy. As he expected, you’d started to become physically exhausted, no matter how strong you were. This, along with the eminent soul burnout you were approaching, led him to summon a hand to send over a dose of his magic, soothing you. As you relaxed and finished singing he had another thought; he may be the only one that is able to hear you through the void, but it did not take an expert to guess that all the sparking, spiraling, ebbing and blinding reactions your soul gave when you sang _must also_ be causing some sort of physical sensation for you too. He wanted to ask you more, but he knew he had to keep his distance. Thankfully, the energy you resonated just now in his presence, was enough to calm his soul for at least another day, he believed. After all, he knew he would only have to wait one more day before you called him, one more day till he saw you again. He could wait.

  
  
  


* * *

When you left the auditorium the heavy weight returned on your chest again, it was irritating at this point for sure, and when you got back to your dorm, Adelya was happy to hear you were able to practice. You told Adelya about your weird sensation while singing, and she suggested it might be due to you not practicing in a while. You told her how even though your practice session seemed exhausting, it also felt _amazing_ to sing at your full volume, with focused effort again. You also told her about the heavy weight that was plaguing you recently and that it went away in the mornings and again right before you sang your last song that night. She suggested talking to the school nurse, Alphys, on Monday, when the infirmary was open. Over the weekend, the only medical center open was the emergency center, and you didn't really think your problem called for immediate action just yet. You also informed her that the two of you would be karaoking tomorrow, and that you still hadn't gotten a chance to tell Sans you just wanted to be friends yet. 

“I'm telling you Ember, you're playing with fire here, and there is a good chance you're gonna get burned somehow tomorrow, whether it's by Sans or Dr. Gaster.” she says slightly disappointed in you.

“I'm just trying not to fight fire with fire here, I'll let Sans know tomorrow night, _before_ I call Gaster, for sure.” you say to convince both Adelya and yourself.

“Okay, but what if you don't get the chance, then what? Didn't Gaster specifically tell you to ‘ _be alone’_?” She asks, always trying to plan ahead, and you figured it couldn't hurt to have a ‘plan B’, actually.

“Okay well, if I somehow _don't_ get to tell Sans tomorrow night, and it ends up getting too close to midnight, then you could just... call my phone, discreetly. I'll just pretend it's my dad calling, and step outside to talk to him or something.” you say.

“Pppft, more like ‘Dr. Daddy's calling’.” You roll your eyes playfully at her comment, and she continues.

“I'd normally say no, and try to stop this snowball of trouble before it crashes, but it's not _my_ place to tell Sans. Plus, Sans is cool, but it seems like he has a short temper, and I'd rather avoid any possibility of drama, or making a scene. So, the most important thing is making sure Sans doesn't find out about Gaster and you, I mean no one should know about you guys besides me anyway. But well, if the reaction Sans had at the dining hall, when we told him Gaster simply talking to you, is anything to go by...him finding out about the deal he offered you it's only gonna make things _much_ worse.”

“That's for sure.” you sigh a bit overwhelmed, you really don't need the extra stress. 

“Hey, thanks Adelya. I know I have to talk to him about it tomorrow, and I'll try my best to avoid the backup plan, sorry you might have to help me cleanup my mess.” You assure her with an apologetic smile.

“No worries girl, I'm positive you'll have to help me just as much at some point.” she gives you a reassuring smile.

“Gods, were definitely good at being hot messes sometimes hu?” you groan but laugh anyway.

“E’yupp. Emphasis on _Hot._ ” she says jokingly, tossing her hair over her shoulder dramatically. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Saturday morning, you and Adelya made waffles for yourselves with this awesome [ pokemon waffle maker ](https://imgur.com/a/S8ar8Wt) she bought just for college, probably so she could make the joke that whatever she made, you ‘had to eat them all’. You wanted to invite Haru to come with you to karaoke but you didn't want to ask Sans and make him feel like he was obligated to say yes. Haru was cool with it anyway, she told you guys to have fun and take videos so she could see later; that she was actually thinking of getting some coffee with a nice wolf monster she met in one of her classes anyway. Haru also wished you luck, she knew you had to tell Sans you only wanted to be friends with him so you could focus on school, and that you were nervous he would be annoyed or upset. However that was the extent of her knowledge. You and Adelya were the only ones who knew about your ‘possible agreement with Gaster’ situation; and you wanted to keep it that way. Haru did tell you though, that if Sans takes it the wrong way and is offended, that he wasn't worthy of your time or friendship anyway. That made you cringe internally, it was _you_ who didn't deserve to be _his_ friend. You’ve felt so guilty and dreaded telling him these past couple days, but at the same time, you had been impatient and excited for your four days of contemplating to be over. Tonight, you could get this stressful situation out of the way, and start something new and unpredictable with Gaster; the anticipation _and_ the dread you felt for tonight, was making you restless. 

* * *

6’oclock definitely took its sweet time getting here, but once it did, you hopped in the shower and got ready. You and Adelya got dressed and you asked her to somewhat match [ your outfit ](https://imgur.com/a/OtaBJK8) , because not only would it be fun to look nice tonight, but you wanted to impress Sans' friends as well. You _may_ have _also_ wanted to look good incase Gaster came to see you. He told you to be alone when you called him, and something told you he didn't say that just because he wanted your phone conversation to be private. So, Adelya digs through her clothes to find [ an outfit that compliments yours ](https://imgur.com/a/pVV7zMD) , she seemed to have outfits in all types of styles. Your wardrobe was mainly black, red, and royal blue of the punk and edgy variety. Although, you and Adelya both had funny graphic T’s in your wardrobes, too many shows and memes not to, after all. Adelya warned you not to spin too fast in your outfit or your skirt would flare up and show your underwear. You giggled and told her you would wear booty-short type underwear so that wouldn't be a problem. However, when she wasn't looking, you most definitely put on a pair of sexy red lace panties instead. Oh, you for _sure_ needed to refrain from bending over or twirling like Adelya warned, but this way, you were _also_ prepared in case Gaster wanted to meet up after your phone call with him. Gotta always prepare for any sexy situation, you made sure your skin was baby smooth and you did your makeup and lipstick, red and black of course. Growing up you got decently skilled with makeup, after all, if you're gonna be a ‘Rockstar’ you better damn well learn to dress the part. Adelya and you danced around in your room as you finished getting ready to a [ fun song by Doja Cat ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP7lp8UD1Xw&list=PLVsFQvKEnCRB-eQSdmUlVnpzIUl1hWT8x&index=104&ab_channel=DojaCat-Topic), ‘cause the bass in the chorus of the song is addicting; and helped pump up your confidence. 

Before you two knew it, it was 7:30pm, and you both gathered your purses making sure you had your phone, keys, and wallets. Adelya assured you not to worry about paying for drinks, and that the two of you just couldn't ‘get anything but the basics’ for a bit; but she guaranteed you that a celebration to mark the both of you completing your first week of college was totally worth it. After a short drive just a bit of a ways down the mountain outside of campus, you two arrived at the small college town. There were plenty of fancy houses in residential areas here, the neighborhood around here was impressive, most college towns were. That's because the college wants to create a certain image, one that presents the local neighborhood, and by extension the college, as safe, elite, and classy. The only people who _actually owned_ these houses were rich snobs, the only exception being the fraternity and sorority houses; and the houses that rich kids could rent out in groups to live in while attending MEU.

The town itself had a pharmacy, a fire station and police station, a handful of restaurants, both fancy and not; and a mom-and-pop grocery store; there were a few other odds and ends of course. The most interesting of those random shops being a tattoo shop, you find it funny that it's here because it was smart actually, a lot of people with tattoos usually get their first one at college. College was a place for taking risks and trying new things, speaking of which, your mind wanders to Gaster during the ride over to Grillby’s. Adelya was too busy singing along to the radio to notice you were deep in thought. You wanted to take fun risks like this sure, but you had to make it _clear_ to him that you're not going to let this ‘agreement’ get in the way of your end game for even being here. You’re here for only two reasons, get a stupid piece of paper that says you graduated, and to get your parents support. You were going to stand firm, to make sure he understood that fact, every time you were near him words evaded you, but not tonight dammit you were determined to stay brave around him, **_no matter what_ **. 

So, when you and Adelya walked through the doors of Grillby’s at exactly 8:01pm, you made the decision to definitely tell Sans tonight what you _should have_ told him _before_ all of this. First though, you and Adelya should introduce yourself to the group sitting and chatting with Sans at the bar. Adelya ushered you along past the threshold of the doorway, and was the first to announce your arrivals to greet Sans. Looking around, you noticed the bar was to the left wall, booths to the right, and at the end of the room was a decent sized stage of sorts. Usually, if a bar has a permanent stage like this, it meant that live music was normally played most regular nights the bar was open. You made a mental note to come back here on one of those nights, it would be cool to support and listen to local musicians.

  
  


“Hey Sans~” Adelya started, a chipper excited tone in her voice and a bounce in her step as she approached him, and what appeared to be his friends, sitting at the bar together. “You guys got here early, thought you said 8:00pm?” She smiled and introduced herself and you, pointing to her, then you as she did so.

  
  


“I'm Adelya, and this is-” you interjected quickly before she could give out your real name, you preferred your new nickname, never really enjoying your _real_ name to begin with. You always used a shortened version of it anyway; so, if you wanted them to know you as Ember, Adelya didn't mind.

“-Ember, I'm Ember,” finishing the introduction, “aaand it's nice to finally get the chance to meet you all, heh we didn't make you guys wait too long did we?” You say, as you feigned a relaxed tone in your voice, fooling everyone but Adelya and Sans. Speaking of Sans, he was most definitely ogling at your short pleather skirt. You should have known he was going to stare, then again to be fair, he probably figured you would still want him to.

“Hey guys, nah these dorks were just too impatient to meet you both.” Sans says

* * *

When you and your roommate first entered Grillby’s, Sans wondered why your soul light was fluctuating oddly, maybe you were worried about impressing his friends? Or maybe you were self-conscious about that miniskirt you were wearing, either way, he was more focused on your outfit right now. He’d like to think you dressed up in that, to impress _him_ tonight. He knew if he flirted with you and charmed you enough, he could easily have you wishing he’d hike up that skirt for you by the end of the night. He was giving you space after your last hookup, he didn't want you thinking he was clingy or desperate, but your outfit tonight flipped his switch. 

“Hey guys, nah these dorks were just too impatient to meet you both.” He said, You probably wanted him just as much as he wanted you, who else could you be trying to impress?

* * *

  
  


“Hey! Who you callin’ a dork, punk?!” A rather toned, fish-like monster yells at Sans, her physique was impressive and reminded you of an Amazonian woman.

“Heh, sorry, thought you were Un _dying_ to meet these two.” Sans says to her, but she just rolls her eyes at him and turns to face you and Adelya.

“My name is Undyne! It's nice to finally meet you two, ‘cause Sans here, JUST WON'T shut up about ya!” She laughs as she puts a hand on Sans shoulder, whose face developed a light dusting of cyan at her comment. You and Adelya just giggle. 

“Nice to meet you Undyne!” You say, really enjoying her motivational ferocity as she talked. Adelya in turn echoed your greeting, also introducing herself to the sporty fish monster.

“AND I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, I AM SANS BROTHER!” Papyrus was a taller skeleton monster, he wasn't as tall as Gaster, but definitely taller then Sans, and he was definitely louder than both of them combined. Still, neither you nor Adelya were intimidated by his enthusiasm.

“AND UNDYNE IS RIGHT!” Papyrus says, and continues, before you or Adelya could respond.

“HE _HAS_ TOLD US A LOT ABOUT YOU GUYS, DON'T WORRY, I'VE ONLY HEARD GOOD THINGS.” Papyrus continued, now that you remember, Papyrus was the one yelling outside the door that night at the party.

You and Adelya greeted him too. You remember Sans insinuating he was an innocent cinnamon roll, and you could tell right away that was true, you could also tell that he was a cool dude. Lastly, a yellow lizard monster around Sans height, if not a bit shorter, who was sitting next to Undyne nervously introduced herself.

  
  


“A-and I-I'm Alphys, it's nice to meet you, b-both.” She says politely. And the two of you exchange greetings again, Adelya seems to recognize her name.

“Alphys? Are you by any chance the head nurse at the MEU infirmary?” Adelya asks.

“O-oh, y-yes actually, that’s me, Sans d-did mention you were both first y-years, correct?” She says to you both.

“Yeah actually, we're roommates, and long time best friends too.” You say.

  
  


You all got to know everyone better after a few general back-and-forth questions from the group. Then, when everyone had got a drink from the bartender, who seemed to be a type of fire monster, everyone moved from the bar to a larger booth close to the stage. You learned that the kind, and very quiet, bartender was actually the owner of the bar himself, Grillby. After almost everyone but you and Sans had a turn to sing, you were up next, which Adelya had hyped up way too much. You skimmed the book of songs while the others were taking their turns, and thankfully you [ found one ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhL8GUjXEfk&list=PLVsFQvKEnCRB-eQSdmUlVnpzIUl1hWT8x&index=73&ab_channel=BebeRexha-Topic) that may let you get some stress out for you, it was 9:30pm you still had time but it was ticking. 

♫~ ” _Everything's been so messed up here lately,_

 _Pretty sure he don't wanna be my baby.”_ ~♫

You were fine with Gaster just having a strictly physical relationship with you, you don't think you could handle catching feelings for anyone right now, no matter how much your imagining a whole situation where you did. 

♫~ ” _Oh, he don't love me, he don't love me_

_He don't love me, he don't love me_

_But that's okay, ayy”~♫_

And, at least currently, that's was true, you did not feel you needed anymore out of Gaster, no matter how interesting your daydreams may be, they're just frivolous thoughts. That humming sensation started in your chest again.

♫~ _”'Cause I love me, yeah, I love me_

_Yeah, I love me_

_Yeah, I love myself anyway_

_Hey”_ ~♫

You aren't a horrible person for following your desires, but you aren't perfect either. At least on the surface you loved yourself enough to be up here singing care-free. The bass you felt seemed to be coming from more than just your heart.

♫~ ” _Everything's gonna be alright_

_Everything's gonna be okay_

_It's gonna be a good, good life_

_That's what my therapists say_.”~♫

None of the therapists you've been to had ever helped you get through anything, but ya know what did? Singing, doing what you loved. The waves of vibrations continued on in your chest.

♫~ _”Everything's gonna be alright,_

_Everything's gonna be just fine,_

_It's gonna be a good, good life…”_ ~♫

You could do this, even if….

♫~ _”I'm a mess,_

_I'm a loser,_

_I'm a hater, I'm a user,_

_I'm a mess for your love, it ain't new.”_ ~♫

As you sang that last line, you couldn't help yourself from thinking of Gaster, you swore you felt the tiniest snap-click feeling in your chest, the bass feeling was replaced with something else, as you pictured your kiss with him again, the one that sent you into a 4 day spiral, as if you were…... 

♫~ _”I'm obsessed, I'm embarrassed_

_I don't trust no-one a-round us,_

_I'm a mess for your love, it ain't new,_

_Oooo~h.”_ ~♫

For the rest of the song, you thought of Gaster, and for the rest of the song, the bass feeling in your chest transformed into a clear _almost endless_ echo, like you were singing into the perfect echo of an extremely long tunnel. The weight you had also been experiencing for most of Friday and all of today, seemed to lift off your shoulders as well, the change of both of the new sensations at once had been alarming at first. You weren't complaining, of course, in fact you couldn't remember any other time you’ve felt this peacefully empowered then when you sang the rest of the song.

♫~ ” _I'm a mess for your love, it ain't new, Ooo~h.”_ ~♫

As you sang the last verse, Adelya, and your new group of friends clapped and cheered, and you dramatically took a bow, Sans on the other hand was silent. 

* * *

As the night went on and your deadline got closer there wasn't a moment where you didn't think of Gaster, in fact almost the whole night you had visions of stepping outside to call him. But you found that normal, you were eager to talk to him, and strangely you were compelled to do so in the alleyway just outside. Strange, because you definitely weren't about to walk into a dark alleyway to make a phone call, no matter how rich, safe and ‘squeaky-clean’ this town was. Though, you still _really_ wanted to, but you also still had to talk to Sans. As the night went on everyone in the group sang more songs, in fact; you all took multiple turns, except for Sans, who stayed oddly quiet. Papyrus, his brother, told you not to worry and that he ‘got this way’ from time to time. It confused you, and you even tried to talk to him a few times in between your turns, but he just ignored you. 

You couldn't tell him you just wanted to be friends if he kept ignoring you, why was he giving you the cold shoulder? He wasn't like this until after your first song, what if he found out you've been talking to Gaster? No he couldn't have, otherwise he would have been upset the moment you got here. Time was running out, you didn't really have any more time left to find out why he was mad, it was 11:25pm, you were too close to the deadline and it looked as if you were going to have to use the backup plan. 

So, you texted Adelya to call you in about 10 minutes so you could step out and call Gaster like the two of you had planned. After a few moments, you saw Adelya get up from her seat, she told everyone she would be right back and headed towards the bathrooms near the entrance. She would most likely call you from in there, and you decided to try and talk to Sans one more time, so you made your final attempt.

“Hey um, look you've been really quiet this whole time, but you weren't like this when I first got here, what….what happened? Why are you being so stand-off-ish all of a sudden?” You ask Sans quietly while the others were chatting away loudly, not focused on your conversation between the two of you. Although this time, he had finally responded. 

“Dunno Ember, feels like I should be asking **_you_ ** the same thing, **_W h a t h a p p e n e d ?_ ** _”_ He says in a rather frightening tone, full of venom and malice, but only you heard his livid response.

“W-What? W-What are you talking a-about? Nothing happened to me?” You tried your best not to stutter, but you knew you sounded like you were lying. You were never good at lying to someone, especially when they were upset. You began to freak out, now you were worried that Sans either found out about you and Gaster, or he could somehow tell you had been thinking about Gaster. Both were terrifying, but they also didn't make any sense, he can't read minds like Gaster, because if he could he would have freaked out like this earlier, right? 

The only thing you knew Sans could see was your soul light and color, right? You realized from your conversation with Gaster, that he couldn't _see_ your betrayal lines, was he somehow able to now? You began to hyperventilate, you can't freak out now, it would definitely give away you were lying. You were overwhelmed, and you could feel the beginnings of frustrated tears started to form in your eyes, but you choked them down, you had to get the hell out of here. Then, thankfully your phone started to ring, and before you had a chance to freak out, you did your best to collect yourself and announce to the rest of the group; meanwhile Sans still wouldn't look at you.

“O-Oh, uh hey, sorry guys my dad is calling, I uh...better take this.” You say quickly getting out of your seat and pointing to your phone, “I'm just gonna step outside real quick.” You say, with maybe too much desperation in your voice.

“Sure thing Ember! Don't take too long though, your turn is up next after Papyrus!” Undyne said with a thumbs up.

“Y-Yeah, be back in a second…” You say, putting your phone to your ear, pretending to say hello to your dad as you answered and quickly walked to the front entrance of Grillby’s. Stepping into the slightly cold end-of-summer air. You talk to the person who is actually on the other end of the phone. 

* * *

Halfway through your song, Sans could feel the presence of Gasters soul to the right of him past the walls of the restaurant, in the alleyway outside. Sans didn't know why Gaster was here, but he knew it had to do something with you. He didn't want to interrupt your singing, and he didn't want to miss it either, so when you were done his plan was to step out for a moment, and tell that prick to back off. However, towards the end of the song, a lovely memory floated into his subconscious; a memory that was not his. He knew Gaster could alter visions and memories _slightly_ , but he also knew that there was no explaining you alone with him, _kissing him_ in the woods like that. Gaster was doing this just to fuck with him, and Sans was _pissed off._ The part that hit Sans hardest? Apparently, you were supposed to meet him before midnight tonight, because he wanted you as a subject-, no...he wanted _more_ than that from you, and you? It seemed like you were _plenty_ interested in hearing him out. Sans wanted to puke, Gaster had stooped to a new low, Sans knew he was manipulating you somehow, but you were also falling for his trap and that pissed him off _just as much._

You kept asking him what was wrong as he tried to keep his cool, he was waiting for you to dare and leave, to see if you would actually meet up with the sick doctor, he wanted to wait and see _just how much_ of this was of your own will.

* * *

You breathed in the air around you and you tried to calm yourself down as you talked to Adelya.

_(“Woah, woah, what happened Ember? Why do you sound so out of breath?”)_

“Adelya, I…don't know how, and I'm not completely positive, but I think Sans knows about… _you know what_ … look I’m, I'm...I’m just gonna get an Uber home.”

_(“What?? No, I'll just drive you back -”)_

“You can't!” You start frantically, before lowering your volume and ducking into the alleyway next to Grillby’s, to explain. “I mean look, Adelya, _please_ I need you to go back out there and find out what Sans knows. He...he sounded _terrifyingly_ mad at me before I left and...honestly, part of me has this weird fear he might...follow me or something if he doesn't calm down. If anyone can calm him down, it's you.” You plead with her.

_(“Hun, hun, it's okay, if that's what you need me to do right now then I'll do it, just…Text me when you're home safe.”)_

“O-Okay…I will, I'm just going to calm myself down out here for a few moments before I get a ride back…Thank you Adelya, you're a saint.” 

_(“Anytime, Rockstar, see you later.”)_

Once you hung up with Adelya you leaned your back against the outside brick wall of Grillby’s.

It was 11:50pm. Running your fingers through your hair, groaning, your heart was going a mile a minute your chest was tight, it may not be visible on the outside but you were still having a panic attack on the inside. Clutching your hand close to your chest as you feel the sharp painful twists and aces, you swear in frustration.

“Stupid…fucking, broken-ass… _chemically imbalanced bullshit brain!...._ fucking painful… Ugh! _Please I'm_ **_begging_ ** _you, just make it_ **_stop._ **” You said to no one in particular, cursing the body you were stuck in, shutting your eyes in an attempt to focus the pain away, standing in this darkened alleyway.

“ _My...dear,_ ” you hear the words fade into existence, and slowly the pain that was tormenting you feels as if it gets absorbed into whatever happened to be materializing on your shoulder and the side of your neck. You relax as the pain fades, and you can now recognize the warmth touching you, as hands; one on your left shoulder, and the other cradling the right side of your face and neck lightly . You kept your eyes closed for this moment, before blinking softly to see Gaster staring down at you. You felt the heat of his body finally forming in front of you, he hadn't scared you with his arrival this time, and you briefly wonder why. Maybe because you were distracted by the relief of the pain caused by your panic attack, or maybe because the look he gave you when you first opened your eyes was… _Concerned_ ? No, he was more _fixated_ as he gazed into your still recovering state, and you couldn't look away. 

“You need only _ask me, I_ can easily _help you.”_ He says to you, his voice was so soft, it seemed to lull you into peace and a familiar Xanax feeling floated through you. Your anxiety tamed by a warmth of comfort that pulsed in your veins, you were so glad you hadn't missed his deadline. Gaster briefly glanced sideways, before turning his attention back to you. You weakly tried to follow his gaze but he held you in place, not that you put up much resistance, you were just glad to have him this close to you again. He seemed to smile deviously for just a moment, before softening his expression again and speaking once more.

“I hope you don't mind darling, there wasn't much time left, and I just came to directly confirm your refusal, _in person_.” He says to you, and it took your partially foggy brain a moment before you were able to process his words again, your brain seemed to fight against his calming magic as it tried to flood with worry. You didn't want to refuse him _at all_.

“N-No,” you said, desperate and unable to look away from the amused glimmer in the void that was Gaster's dark, endlessly intriguing eyes. “I-, I wasn't planning on refusing, I was only t-trying to... I'm sorry for waiting till the last minute to call… I only thought…” You try to apologize, your voice sounded muddled and disoriented as you got used to the sudden, but pleasant relief of pain Gaster had provided you. The doctor chuckled deeply, a captivated expression accompanied his movements, his right hand slowly trailed down from your shoulder to caress your body. 

“ _You needn't apologize, my flame._ ”He says softly, His left hand still cradling the side of your face, he had you with your back against the wall, blushing at the term of endearment he used to address you. He expertly calmed both your mind _and_ body. You hadn't even realized you had been so tense, until Gaster, who was tracing your curves, seemed to relax everything he touched. You gifted him a soft quiet moan of relief. You seemed a bit more in a haze than normal, but all you cared about was that you were feeling immensely better now, and you responded to him properly this time.

“I... took a while... to get back to you on this whole... _agreement_ thing _,_ because I was worried you would think I was... too... _enthusiastic_ about it.” You chose your words carefully, you had more to say but you did not want to mess this moment up either.

“ _And why would_ I think that, _Ember_ ?” He asks with a strange fascination. You thought it was obvious, in fact you _know_ he knows the answer to that. It seemed he wanted you to repeat the embarrassing truth, but you suppose you could give in to his teasing, seeing as you're the one who made him wait so long. 

“ _W-Well..._ I-I know,” you sighed, might as well bite the bullet, “I know I'm the one who probably started this whole mess, wanting us to...for us to have a physical relationship, that is.” You try your best to sound more...professional while admitting things, you found it less embarrassing. The right hand Gaster had rested at your hip, started to move down further to caress your thigh. 

“ _Yes_ ,” he starts, he moves his hips closer against you, and you nervously squeak at his sudden movement.

“ _I suppose…”_ he continues, his hand at your thigh finds the hem of your pleather mini skirt, and snakes its way underneath, he pushes it up, exposing your red lacy underwear that _you most definitely wore for this exact kind of situation._ You take in a short, excited breath of anticipation, as Gaster appraises your appearance in this lewd state, lustful hunger in his eyes, you let out a fraction of an impatient moan, hanging off every word that he spoke next.

  
  


“... ** _you_ ** **are** the one who first wanted me _in_ **_this_ ** _way_.” He states with a dominant and devious purr, he leans his face close to yours, trapping your gaze. His hand traces over the red lace of your panties and around to grip the soft flesh of your ass before moving down to grip your thigh. Your small mewls as he did so only seemed to excite him more, because as Gaster lifts your left leg to position it close against the side of his hip; he grinds his hips against your thin underwear and you can feel his sizable erection through his slacks. _Fuck its huge,_ you think, and your a little nervous, but mostly excited so you follow his direction and roll your hips forward to meet his. 

“ _Mnf...ah~ ...Gaster.. I...p-please can we just-…?”_ You moan, in a weak attempt to ask if he would take you somewhere, somewhere or anywhere you and him could finish ‘playing’ this [_mind_ _game_](https://youtu.be/c-EkFgViaPE) you started a week ago.

“Ah, now…” he starts off calmly, not letting you finish your sentence, “I think you can _plead better than_ **_that_** _, Ember.”_ He grinds his length against you again as he finishes his sentence, a commanding tone that only turns you on more.

Guiding you forward with his left hand, he leans down to connect his lips with yours, he moves his hand from the side of your face to softly grip your other thigh, your arms move up to his chest, then to his shoulders as you return his kiss eagerly, deepening the kiss. You understand what he wants from you when he grips your right thigh, lightly pulling up, and so you obey and hop up slightly and he grabs your ass to support your body as you wrap your right leg around his waist too. Your back against the wall behind you, your ankles locked with your legs, both wrapped around Gaster’s waist. His left hand still grips the soft flesh of your supple behind as his right hand finds its way past the red-laced obstacle separating him from you. Gaster moves to pull back from the kiss, just to chastise you.

“How fitting of you to wear something _so risqué_ , exactly what _indecent acts,_ were you anticipating tonight dear?” He taunts with a devious smirk, and you let out an impatient moan, too embarrassed to say it to his face.

“ _I might indulge you if you ask nicely.”_ He says, voice laced with a dark and playful tone. Gaster pushes the flimsy fabric of your underwear to the side, and without breaking his eye contact with you, he moves his hand along your already wet folds. You give an encouraging moan and you lean forward so you could kiss him again, and he lets you. Lost in all of your senses, his tongue laced with a familiar bourbon flavor, you want more of him, you _need_ him to do more _to you_. To your relief, Gaster moves his thumb in circles around your clit, and you're just happy for any amount of his touch. He pulls back again for a moment, a string of his black saliva drips from his tongue down your lips on your lustful, desperate face and you decide to take this moment to plead with him more.

“ _P_ - _Please~_ Gast _er”_ You say as you rock your hips against his hand impatiently, you couldn't wait anymore. Gaster chuckles darkly at your desperation, he summons a hand underneath you to slip two of its fingers into your entrance, enjoying your surprised mewl. You submissively bare your throat to him, tilting your head back as the fingers of his summoned hand begin to thrust in and out of your sex, while he continues his motions on your clit. 

“h~! _…mhn~a-h~!”_ You moan for him, as Gaster’s continued indulgence of your desires, sends additional waves of pleasure through you, it was getting much harder for you to stay quiet. You really just wanted him to _fuck you properly_ already, you already tried not being eager for him, and he thought you weren't interested.

“G-Gaster, _p-ple-ah~!-se-~”_ You choke out a moan through your lust consumed voice, as you try again to plead for Gaster to take this further, his phantom hand thrusting in you adds another finger and it picks up the pace of its thrusts, coax out more of your increasingly lewd reactions.

  
  


_“Ple~ase_ -I _jus-t_ _w-want_ _you to_ , n~ I **_need_** yo-u _~ah~!_ ” Your panting only making your moans more erotic sounding. You can tell Gaster just _loved_ watching you _desperately_ come undone lusting for him.

“ ** _If_ ** you so ‘ _need’_ me, as you say..." He says as he deeply growls, and you felt like his tone commanded your very soul.

“Then I should be _hearing you_ **_beg._** **_for. me._** ” His expression was one that made you shiver in both intimidation and excitement. He stopped his movements, and you knew he was waiting to hear you do just that, _beg_. 

You couldn't hold back anymore, you wanted this, you _needed_ this, you **_needed him_** and if you needed to fucking _beg_ him for it, you _weren't afraid_ _to_ ** _beg_**. 

“ _Please~!_ , _Gaster_ _ple~ase fuck_ ~ _me,_ you can do ~ah- _anything_ you want with me!” You beg, and he allows the summon hand to slowly thrust in and out of you again, his hand against your clit moving again slightly. When you didn't continue to speak, he would pause again only rewarding you slightly for every time you continued to beg him.

“I’ll- _ah-ah~ I’ll_ _do a-anything~.”_ You plead yet again. He moved, then stopped. 

“ _Mhn-ah~ a-anythin~g you want me t-too~!”_ Your sexual frustration was boiling over. He teased you again, then stopped. 

“ _Pleaase~ ...p-please, please~! Just..._ **_fuck me!_ ** ” You moan, _way too loudly_. Gaster removes his summoned hand that was fingering you, to your right thigh to support you, as he moved his true hand, that he had there previously, to grip the hair at the back of your head. He runs his fingers through your hair, tangling them in your locks, and he kissed you with fevered intensity briefly, before promptly pulling your head back to admire your panting, breathless, desperate expression.

“ _Then I'll take you, until you scream you belong to_ **_only me._ ** _”_ Gaster insisted with a vicious severity that fanned the scorching flames of your lust.

“ _Y-Yes_ , **_t-take me_** ~” you whined, and with that, your surroundings seemed to fade to black.

* * *

When things started to fade back into existence around you, you were in some sort of a dimly lit room. Your back met, what you could only assume was a bed, and Gaster was just as impatient as you were, yet he still attempted to restrain himself at first. The two of your tongues danced in a deep display of passion as he assisted in fully undressing you quickly. The room had only been illuminated by the light of a fireplace that was at the far wall, and when you felt your kiss with Gaster break, you opened your eyes to see him removing his coat. Your eyes adjusted to the new surrounding light level, but you only had a brief moment to rationalize you must be in his bedroom in _wherever his house was._ You didn't get any time to look at other details of the room, due to two phantom hands that grabbed at your wrists. They moved to pull your arms up above your head, then pulled you down to pin you to the mattress. You squealed at the sudden movement and restraint, attempting to tug free of them. Looking up at the dark ceiling you couldn't see Gaster at moment, but you could hear his dominant and low, reassuring voice wash over you from somewhere in the room.

“ _Behave for me, my pet.”_ The silken electricity woven in his voice convinced you that it would be okay to trust him, and you _absolutely_ _reveled_ in being called his pet. So you followed what he asked of you, and relaxed into his restraints, well behaved.

Then, you felt a warm pair of hands slide up your thighs to your hips, and along your bare chest that quickly soothed you more. As Gaster came back into view, he hungrily stalked up your body with an insatiable look in his eyes that nearly made you forget how to breathe. The only clothing left on his body, was a fully unbuttoned, disheveled dress shirt, the sleeves of which he had rolled up. He admired your body as he spoke to you in a darker, lust filled manner.

“I should be _making you plead_ for me...for as long as you _made me wait for you_.” He says, and you let out an apologetic whine, before he continued to scold you.

“ ** _You,_ ** are the one who first wanted me to reprimand you so forcefully _like this_... in this **_deviant_ ** _fantasy_ of yours.” He says hovering above you, and all you could do was whimper out those weak, apologetic pleas to him. He only gave you an amused smirk in response, feigning ignorance to the flustered words leaving your mouth. Gaster's hands continued to caress your exposed body and anywhere he touched, you started to feel hotter than before. This was a _new_ sensation, close to the pressure that builds before release, and it lingered wherever he touched. 

Your eyes fluttered shut in the presence of this feeling, as he dragged his long black tongue along your torso, the wet nimble muscle circling around the nipples of your breasts. Gaster coated your sensitive buds in his hot, charcoal black saliva. You gasped and mewled in approval, Gaster carefully trailed love bites up your chest leaving small red marks as he did so; and when he reached your lips, he carefully nipped at your bottom lip.

_“However….”_ Gaster continued his thoughts briefly, before he resumed kissing you again, your eyes shut again when you could feel his rather sizable length brush against your inner thigh. Still kissing you skillfully, Gaster caresses your thighs with his lust-sparking touch, slowly and tenderly moving his hands across your soft skin as if he were analyzing and memorizing each curve on your body. Then, he positioned himself between your thighs, pulling back his head _just enough_ to be directly above your awaiting lips, moving his left hand up against your flush face he traced the bottom of your lip with his thumb; then continued his thought.

“Sense you begged me _so nicely..._ ,” he started in a brief tender moment, before his demeanor flipped back to animalistic, “...I’ll show you some **_mercy_** Ember, and ‘ ** _fuck you’_** till you’ve learned to **_never_** _keep me waiting_ ** _again_** _.”_ He growls and his lips crash back to yours, you moan in a slightly nervous anticipation as he shifts to position the tip of his throbbing erection directly at your entrance. His words are a true predatory threat, and the danger of his intensity excites you, but even though you wanted this, you're worried about how _big_ he is. You could tell he was massive, and you’re only able to feel _the tip_ of him against your dripping entrance.

“G-Gaster _please_ _g-~a-h!_ “ You begin to ask him to go easy on you, but he was already slowly inserting the head of his cock into you before you could finish your sentence.

  
  


“A-- _a-hh! ah~ha~ G-Gaster..p-please...you’re ~ah- t-too b-big.”_ You were turned on and he had prepared you with his summoned fingers, but he was _way_ too big, you were worried this was going to hurt _a lot_. Gaster doesn't stop his movements entirely, despite your concern, instead he soothes you.

“ _Relax, my flame…”_ He says as he shushes you, continuing to slowly push himself deeper into you, giving you a bit more of him with each shallow movement of his hips. You can feel his precum mix together with your own essence, thankfully making his motions a bit smoother for you. 

It's then that the lustful sparks you had felt before, when Gasters hands grazed up your body, returned. However this time, they were given to you at a _much larger_ dose and the sensation began to flood your veins. This feeling was **not** like the calm morphine you were used to getting from Gaster, it was something _much more intense._ A mind-numbingly sensual, euphoric, light-headed type of experience raced through you, and you had to fight to keep your concentration on ignoring the pain of Gasters impressive length still being pushed inside your walls.

“ _Let go of your mind,_ _dear_... _relax. I promise you the pain won't overcome your_ _pleasure._ ” He assures you again and you can't control the volume of your cries and moans of pain and euphoria. Gaster continues to take you, his hips plunging himself further into your quivering form with each thrust _._ You can see he is watching you intently as he tucks a lock of your hair behind your ear, your back was arched slightly, trying to accommodate his large, pulsing length within you, along with the new overwhelming sensation-waves you couldn't explain. 

He told you to let go of your mind so, instead of trying to ignore the pain, you tried to only focus on the pleasure that was also pulsing through you, and when you did the intoxicating sensation only grew inside you more, Gaster seemed please with you as he lavished you with sweet words. 

“ _That's it_ , _my flame…._ _succumb to my magic,_ _surrender yourself to me…”_ He says, and at the moment he fully hilts his intense length in you, that's when you finally had a word for the increasingly strong sensation boiling to your surface, _ecstasy_.

“ _Allow me to Indulge you in your_ **_desire_ ** _for me, my favored temptress.”_ Gaster purred and he allowed you a moment for your tight velvet walls to get used to the entirety of his cock. You steady your breathing, and as you look into his eyes it felt as if the both of you were in an odd trance; and it was at that moment that you let Gaster, and this pleasure, truly be the only things that spun in your mind.

Surrendered to the feeling, forgetting your inhibitions, you could feel your body adapt, and it started to feel accustomed to him. The inner walls of your sex now twitched in anticipation, you felt ready for him to move. Gaster could feel you relax around him, and you knew he couldn't wait any longer; but neither could you. You gave a small nod to signal he could move, Gaster lightly touched his forehead to yours, and with a deep and indulgent moan, he started to rock his hips, thrusting himself in and out of you at a slow tempo. Your voice now freed from clenched jaws, you moaned his name. 

“Gast-er _~ah_ I-I _...a-ah~ ”_ you moan out, you started melting into the motion of his thrusts, the pleasure, the pain, all perfectly mixing inside you now. You felt more used to his length with each forward movement, as he ensnared you further into your lust. He soothes you again with his words, nuzzling the side of your face and burying his face into your neck.

_“Yes~ my pet, you’re doing so_ _well._ ” He moans deeply with a force that still keeps you docile. This feeling of ecstasy further increased in you as Gaster pumped his cock into you at a steadier pace, running his teeth lightly against the supple skin of your neck, you could feel his sharp fangs As they graze over you. They could easily break through your skin's surface, if you wished for him to bite you. 

_  
“Y-ou~_ f-feel-s-so _~-ah~h!”_ you mewl in a plea, you never wanted this feeling to end, the trust, warmth, ecstasy, your head was spinning, but Gaster kept your mind on only him as he continued to take you while uttering his steady words of comfort.

_“Continue to satisfy these cravings with me, Ember. Devote your body and soul to me alone._ ” He says in between softly nipping, and roughly sucking on the flesh of your neck your desire for him unceasing, as he left dark marks of his claim in his wake. His thrusts are more forceful now, as he angles himself to push deeper into you. 

“ _A~A-h~h!_ M-n~Gaste _r~! Y~yes!”_ You cry out in ecstasy as you try to tell him, you want this, you can't seem to find all the words. Gaster runs his hot, obsidian-colored, tongue over the bruised marks on the soft flesh of your neck and you shudder at each twist and turn his tendril over his claims of passion on your skin. Again, Gaster responds to your moans for him with lines of alluring passion to you.

“ _Let the rest of your doubt slip away, submit to me entirely...my flame.”_ He says, his breathing a bit uneven as his forceful thrusts begin to pick up speed.

“ _Y-y~es~!”_ Is all you can manage to moan out, but he continues his electrifying persuasion as his repetitive deep thrusts drive into your aching core, and you cry out his name again, a blissful building of tension unlike anything you've ever felt started to boil within the pit of your stomach.

“ _You belong to only_ **_me._** _“_ He says, and your walls tighten in excitement with his claim, _yes_ from the very beginning, you want to be **_his._ **

“ _Only_ **_I_ ** _will have you like_ **_this_** _.”_ He says with a building ferocity in his voice, his breathing heavier as he again, increases the pace of his thrusts with a combined angle that hits the sweetest spot within you.

“ _Y-Ye-s-ah!, mhn~ a-ah~a!!”_ You moan over the incomprehensible waves of pleasure with each continuous thrust of his cock, as he buries within you relentlessly. 

“Then _say it,_ _say you belong to_ **_only me._** _”_ Gaster says as his strong thrusts swell to a grueling pace, your whole existence feeling submerged in a dangerously strong passion, you knew you were close, so close and you agreed with him.

_“I- ~ah~I belong_ **_to you, Gaster~!_ ** _”_ You cry out, but you can hear Gaster growl as he now feverishly thrusted into you, he wanted you to say it better, so you did, you were almost at your limit and you screamed for him declaring your loyal desire.

“ _I~ah~_ **_I b-belong to_ ** _-_ **_Ah-a~A!~ only YOU~!_ ** _”_ You scream in ecstasy, you internally begged for him to mark you more, to **bite** you, you wanted something to remind you _this was real_. He gave a pleased growl at your submissive pledge to him.

“ ** _You’re mine.”_ ** He says with a dominant roar that reverberates from his chest, and he bites down hard at your soft, bruised skin of your neck and shoulder. 

The rush of pain as his sharp teeth broke through your skin sent you over the edge. You felt it through your whole being and it ignited your very soul, your muscles contracted as you came around him. You swear you saw stars, your orgasm crashed over your body in what seemed like reaching nirvana; and with only a few additional brutal thrusts of his hips, Gaster came as well. He spilled his essence inside you, his vicious tempo gradually slowing as he released rope after rope of his heated cum into your greedy core. The copious amount of pitch-black cum that Gaster filled you with, soothed your acing sex, and with his sharp teeth still latched on to your shoulder, you both rode out your orgasms together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but like /seriously/ if you thought that was spicy? if you didn't click the link to listen to the song 'Mind Games' that inspired the smut, you HAVE to listen to it, It makes this whole thing better, and I promise you, you will melt <3 here is the link again https://youtu.be/mojhDfYGXSc


	5. Lions!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Besides my dear, it's a very fitting mantra for someone with a soul such as your own.” He says softly, and a tiny whisper in the back of your mind, asks yourself how you ever found him intimidating in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You will need this for this chapter <3 https://lingojam.com/WingdingsTranslator
> 
> After care and fluff and spice in this one guys but no smut 😭 I have been non-stop writing again on auto pilot. This chapter is 21 pages, and I have already written 20 pages for the next chapter too! I figured that sense I'm going to finish that chapter some time tomorrow most likely, I  
> would be nice and post this one now. I just hate updating when there is no smut in the update xD However, fear not THE NEXT CHAPTER HAS SMUT! <3 Lol and its almost done so just hang in there ~ <3

**Saturday**

9:00am: Tonight was the deadline, but he could wait.

1:00pm: He could wait, you were probably too nervous to call right away.

5:00pm: _He could wait_ , he could hear a slight hum from the void, you must be singing softly somewhere.

9:30pm: **_He could wait_ **, he could hear you singing louder to him now, through the void from somewhere farther than the campus.

9:31pm: **He could wait** , but his curiosity got the better of him, so he teleported near you.

* * *

  
  


Almost immediately after Gaster arrived, in what appeared to be an alleyway in the college town, your voice became brilliantly clear in his mind. Your Siren song dragged him in once more, in fact, this was the _strongest_ he's ever felt the attraction when you sang. He felt it faintly in the woods, considerably at the auditorium, but now he felt as if he was actually, _physically_ , being pulled towards you. As he steadied himself on the outside brick wall of the building you were in, he could tell _Sans_ was inside the establishment with you. You were also with your roommate, and a few other souls he knew all too well. Gaster would only have a few moments before Sans would recognize his presence outside, so he took the liberty to invade his thoughts, and found out he had lewd intentions for you tonight. Well, of course Gaster _just couldn't help himself_. It was funny to him; how Sans wanted to tell him off just now, but then when Gaster sent him the memory of you kissing him at the creek, he froze up so quickly. So, as the night went on, Gaster focused on you instead and kept sending you signals to call him, or even meet him out here. Much to his dismay though, you ignored his mental suggestions as you continued to sing with the group, and Gaster was almost at his boiling point, right up until…

11:35pm: He could wait, _he could wait,_ **_he could wait._ ** Your soul had started to twist like a vortex of color again, **_he could wait, for you_**. 

Only a few minutes later, Gaster sensed you walking out the doors of the building in a rush. Then, _just_ as you turned the corner into the alley way, he teleported to the front of the building, expertly switching places with you. When you finished your panicked phone call, Gaster learned that both your roommate and his _failure_ , knew at least partially, about you and him. Of course, he didn't mind _her_ knowing, and he was the one who _informed_ Sans really, all things aside, it was clear to him that you had _only_ planned on telling your roommate. Gaster had always been cautious and prepared for the worst situations, that wasn't necessary now however, all that mattered now was you and your soul. There would be no need for other subjects now after all, he had _finally_ encountered you. Gaster watched you curse and grip your chest in pain, ah you were having another panic attack, well he could certainly aid you. There was no need to wait any longer.

11:50pm:✋︎︎︎ 👎︎︎︎⚐︎︎︎☠︎︎︎🕯︎︎❄︎︎︎ ☟︎︎︎✌︎︎︎✞︎︎︎☜︎︎︎ ❄︎︎︎☟︎︎︎☜︎︎︎ 💧︎︎︎❄︎︎︎☼︎︎︎☜︎︎︎☠︎︎︎☝︎︎︎❄︎︎︎☟︎︎︎ ❄︎︎︎⚐︎︎︎ 💧︎︎︎❄︎︎︎✌︎︎︎✡︎︎︎ ✌︎︎︎🕈︎︎︎✌︎︎︎✡︎︎︎ ☞︎︎︎☼︎︎︎⚐︎︎︎💣︎︎︎ ✡︎︎︎⚐︎︎︎🕆︎︎︎ ✌︎︎︎☠︎︎︎✡︎︎︎ ☹︎⚐︎☠︎☝︎☜︎☼︎📬︎

* * *

That night, _when you had screamed out his ownership of you in ecstasy,_ you begged him to mark you in your mind. In the heat of the moment, he truly couldn't control himself from fulfilling that desire for you. _Especially_ when you pleaded with him to do so, and _especially_ when it was exactly what he **_wanted_** _to do_ ever since you came into class on Tuesday. In an effort to help you relax and make your body feel as intoxicatedly feverish as you had desired him to, he _may_ have given you a _slightly_ too-large dose of the other useful _effect_ his sensory magic had. Depending on how Gaster uses his magic, it can have two effects. He can provide a calming soothing type of effect that can _numb_ your senses; _or_ he could heighten them to create an intense ‘aphrodisiac-type’ feeling, that floods your veins like a lustful version of a diacetylmorphine injection. The larger dose _may_ have been why you were dizzy after the two of you had finished, you may have been conscious still, but you were far too intoxicated by his magic to think straight at that point. Only a few minutes after Gaster had cleaned and bandaged your shoulder, you helplessly mumbled that you were cold to him, so he gave you one of his sweaters to sleep in. You were still too dizzy to put it on all on your own though, so he helped you, and moved you under the covers after, too. However, _even after that_ , Gaster noticed you were _still_ shivering as if you were cold. So, he did the only thing that made sense to him in that moment; he moved to lay next to you under the covers, and he held you against his chest as you slept. Under the covers, as Gaster held you close, you had finally stopped shivering. 

As you slept peacefully, Gaster allowed himself to doze off too, with you unknowingly trapping him in your needy embrace. When morning arrived, he carefully, as to not wake you, untangled your legs from his and got out of bed. Admiring the sight of you still sleeping soundly, he made sure to be silent as he turned on the laptop at his desk, bracing the dreaded light of the screen. Gaster had ordered a few things for you, and had a delivery service pick up his order, and bring it to his private mail box in the city. Of course there was _no way_ that he’d _ever_ step foot in that chaotic mall. Gaster noticed a strange _overflow_ of his magic energy this morning, it felt like he barely used _any_ , compared to what he usually expended to teleport this distance and back. It wasn't _too_ concerning to Gaster though, so he disregarded it for now. When he returned, he set everything on the table near the sink in the master bathroom. 

Gaster knew you would have _significant_ discomfort when you awoke this morning, so he had ordered things from a store he had heard one of his female students ramble about. He didn't have your medical records yet, and therefore wouldn't know if you had any skin sensitivities; so organically made products seemed a safe bet to him. When he returned, he read your essay as he sat at his desk. He had assigned your class to write an explanation on both the positive, and negative, factors that could affect the human soul, and you had submitted an expertly written five-page essay for it. He drank his coffee as he read your careful and concise words, he didn't need to pick up his correction pen once, he expected no less from someone like you. He _did_ take a look at your transcript that summarized your other academic abilities, but he knew that piece of paper alone couldn't accurately portray you. You had your strengths and weaknesses, but to him, you couldn't be any more ideal then you already were.

As he watched you from his desk, he could tell you were beginning to wake up from your peaceful slumber.

* * *

You're feeling comfortably warm, and slightly confused. Nuzzling the mattress beneath you, you realized your bed was _way more_ soft and comfortable then it normally was. Slowly, as you start to stir awake, stretching your arms and legs slightly, you notice the mattress you were sleeping on, was at least four times _bigger_ than your bed, too. You felt a dull pain in your left shoulder, and your growing confusion finally convinced you to start slowly blinking your eyes open. Oh... this was not your bed, that would explain things. You noticed you were the only one in the bed, and your eyes locked onto the brightest light in the [ room,](https://imgur.com/a/s2O2AoQ) which was a few small rays of sunlight that escaped past what looked to be black-out curtains on the windows. When you looked to the left of the bed you gawked at the rest of the incredibly [ large ](https://imgur.com/a/x83e4gV) hallway, just past the archway of the bedroom. At the end of the long hall, was the fireplace you vaguely remember noticing last night. You yawned before supposing that you should probably try and get up, you moved your arm to lift yourself so you could sit upright on the mattress. When you did so, you learned a few new things. 

  1. One, apparently Gaster gave you one of his soft turtleneck sweaters to sleep in. 
  2. Two, you could feel a sort of adhesive cloth on your sore shoulder underneath the sweater, so Gaster probably bandaged up your bite mark last night.
  3. Three, **_Your everything hurts._**



“Ow, _holy shit, ow fuck_ , ugh."You say as if you're pushing yourself up from the mattress. When you're finally able to blink the sleep out of your eyes, you focus to look around you. You must have totally passed out after you and Gast-... _speaking of which._

“That's what you get for _seducing_ a monster who does not self indulge often, _dear_.” Says Gaster from across the room. He was sitting at a desk, coffee mug in his right hand, and what seemed to be some paper in his other. 

You would laugh, but honestly, his words actually comforted you. He doesn't do this kind of thing often or with anyone, then? That's good, you don't like sharing, _ah you were getting ahead of yourself here_. You could feel a blush creeping up on your face, and try to hide your flustered state with a sassy reply back.

“Oh yeah? What, didn't think I was gonna _follow through_ when I thought I’d wait till the last minute?” You giggle strained, your voice slightly raspy from all the singing _and screaming_ last night. 

“ _On the contrary Ember_ , I remember you _specifically saying_ that you had only done so; because you were worried I'd think of you as _‘too enthusiastic’._ Or at least, that's what you told me last night.” He says before taking a sip of his coffee, looking over the rim of his coffee mug at you, with sharp amused eyes just daring you to say otherwise.

And you were most definitely _not_ going to fight him on that, mostly because he was right, but also because as your brain started to _actually_ wake up, you began to remember all of last night's events _in detail._ They started replaying in your mind by your own fault. You couldn’t let yourself get so flustered first thing in the morning, you tried your best to not think about it right now and answered him back instead.

“Y-Yeah, okay...you got me there.” You say, as you attempt to bring your left hand hand up to brush a strand of hair behind your ear, but you wince at the pain in your shoulder. You take in a sharp breath.

“Ow damnit.” You say bringing your right arm to slightly cradle your left. Gaster sets his coffee mug, as well as the paper that was in his hand, down on his desk and walks over to you while you are focused on your arm.

“You know...” He starts as he approaches you, he was wearing a similar sweater to the one he had put you in, and his normal slacks; _seriously?_ It’s Sunday morning doesn't he own a pair of pajama pants or something? “You did _ask_ me for that, dear.” He says, lightly reaching out to tuck the strand of hair, that had been bothering you, out of the way for you. You knew he was right about the bite, you didn't remember saying it out loud; not that _that_ matters around Gaster, but you did remember asking him to do it to you. You also knew he was probably looking for you to say you regret it or last night, or that you're upset, but you were none of those, and you repeat that to him out loud.

“Thanks, and yeah I know.” You were a little too embarrassed to look at him directly, but he wasn’t having it, and he used a hand to lightly guide your face to meet his gaze. You huff, but you're too tired and frazzled to try and fight him on it.

“It’s not like I regret it or anything, ‘cause I most definitely don't.” You laugh lightly, giving him a shy smile. Gaster seems content with your answer, and he pulls his hand back as you continue to speak, you keep your attention on him as you clarify things more. “I mean, It’s just that I'm super sore...like everywhere actually.” Your whine ends in a playful giggle. “Can’t you like, heal me to stop the pain like you did before?” You ask tiredly.

“I can numb and distract you temporarily from your heightened panic, but healing is not within my abilities any longer.” He pauses briefly, and for a moment you could have sworn he looked rattled, but you felt it would be wise not to press that subject. The moment passed as quickly as it arrived, and he continued his explanation. 

“My sensory magic only works to calm the recipient, and as a result, that can help stabilize their blood pressure. I was capable of stopping the pain you experienced, because it is directly caused by an increase of blood pressure, dear.” He says gently, you nod. The pain in your chest was from a panic attack, and high blood pressure is what makes your chest hurt; you're glad you have a better understanding of his magic. 

“Oh, that makes more sense then...” there was an awkward pause, so you decided to fill it by commenting on what he quoted from you earlier.

“Ya know, even though there’s only been two... _instances_ , I’ve had more ‘enthusiasm’ here in one week than I’ve had in the last five years.” You run your fingers through your hair and shake your head amused at that fact.

_“Is that so?”_ he says to you, eyebrow raised in disbelief. Other people may be offended by that doubt, but you actually found it funny.

“Yeah _‘it's so’_ ya’ jerk,” you move to bring your legs to hang off the side of the mattress, you were attempting to stand up and get out of bed, but you only got as far as sitting at the edge before you wince.

“Ow, ow damnit, ugh anyway; like I would lie about such a lame fact.” You huff, “I mean, It's not like I'm anywhere _close_ to innocent, just never really had the time.” You sigh in defeat as you try to figure out how you're gonna walk home like this, but instead of attempting to move again, for now, you continue your reply to him.

“Why, what were you _trying to say_ anyway, _doctor_?” You say, as you look up at him playfully smirking, calling him out for _almost_ saying he figured you ‘got around’.

That question of yours got a very unexpected response from him, however. Gaster seems to graze one of his fangs with his tongue impatiently, before suddenly leaning in close to your face. You slightly flinch and squeak in surprise at his sudden eager movements.

“Nothing, dear.” He says, then he moves to lift you up in his arms bridal-style, being careful of your shoulder, and you _swear_ you heard a faint growl in his voice as he did so.

“ _Eep_! W-What the heck?” You question, and he just chuckles lightly as he holds you against his chest. What got him so suddenly worked up? You were too distracted right now to ask, though.

“Relax, Ember, I'm just going to draw you a bath, to lessen your _discomfort_.” He explains as he carries you to what seemed to be the master bathroom connected to the right side of the already large room.

“O-Oh, thanks, that would be nice actually...” you trail off your sentence as you relax into his steady arms. When Gaster walks you both into the bathroom, he summons a hand and directs it to start preparing the water to fill up, what your eyes can barely make out in the dark as, the bathtub. 

“Um, hey Gaster? Are...are you gonna turn on the lights?” You ask sheepishly, it's not like he didn't have enough hands to do so, even with him holding you.

“Ah, right.” He starts, as if he genuinely didn't think of doing so. “No, dear. I prefer to avoid lights as much as possible on my days off, but I can get you a few candles, since I'm sure you can not see well in the dark.” He says with a smirk, still holding you as the bathwater starts to fill up.

“And you can then, I'm guessing?” You briefly wonder if maybe he gets frequent migraines, or if he is a vampire. You hear him briefly chuckle in response, _ah right he heard that._

“ _Regardless_ of the bite on your shoulder Ember, I can assure you I'm no vampire. That said, yes I can see rather well in the dark; compared to all humans and most monsters.” As he was informing you, a few summoned hands entered the room, a couple holding a few large candles, and a few that struck a match to light them. The hands place the candles on the edges of the tub, your mind drifts and begins to wonder if he can hear your thoughts at all times, or if he can decide to stop reading them.

“Ember, you’re aware you _can_ just ask me these questions, yes?” He says, breaking you out of the thoughts you were immersed in. 

“Oh...alright sure, um...I know you _can_ read my thoughts, but can you ever _stop_ listening to my thoughts?” You look up to him, and he looks down at you in his arms to meet your gaze, you can't really explain it, but he has a way of expertly captivating you in moments like this. 

“In any other situation, I can only hear someone's thoughts if I focus and tap into their minds, as if....” He pauses briefly in an attempt to find a good metaphor, “...as if the minds of others are a pair of wireless headphones. If I choose to, I can connect to their signals.” He says, and you smile at the music related reference he used to explain. 

“Okay...so my situation is somehow _different_ then?” You ask, referring to the first half of his explanation. You briefly reflect on how small you feel compared to him, it gives you a sense of security.

“Your situation is different, yes.” The warmth you were feeling inside your chest in this moment, as he held you, felt like you were tapping into something you’ve been ignoring for a while. Gaster continued to explain your situation to you.

“Using the same logic of the previous example, to me, you’re more of a _speaker_ that turns on and off; depending on how much you're focusing on me. I _can_ ignore your thoughts, but I have to consciously do so.” he concludes. 

“Oh great, well _that's_ embarrassing, so I'm just screaming my thoughts to you half the time? It sounds exhausting, to constantly have to be putting me on mute.” You say and you can hear the water stop.

“It generally isn't a problem for me at all, dear.” He says reassuringly. “Now, would you like to get in yourself, _or would you prefer I helped you undress instead_?” He says to you teasingly, you just roll your eyes knowingly at his obvious bait. 

“I can get in by myself, _Casanova_.” You say, with playful sarcasm, honestly you don't think your heart, nor your body, could handle any more flirtatious behavior right now. 

_“As you wish_ , Ember.” Gaster says before he puts you down gently, he helps you stand and you keep yourself stable by leaning a hand on the nearby sink. You never actually got a good look at the [ bathtub till now ](https://imgur.com/a/4lCPo7m) and you realize it’s _freaking massive,_ and similarly as modern as the rest of what you've seen here so far. You remember Gaster’s height and realize he would, for sure, need a large tub like this to be able to relax in a bath. 

“Everything you should need is on the side table next to the sink, I'll re-bandage your shoulder when you come out. Make sure to keep it out of the water, and _do_ try not to sustain any further injuries till then, dear.” He says a hint of amusement in his voice, and you huff it was _his fault_ you were aching in _the first place_ here.

“ _Yeah yeah,_ I have no other injuries on my schedule today, _thanks_.” You say amused with one hand on your hip. You were clearly exhausted, but you pair your sarcasm with a soft smile of appreciation to him anyway. 

“If you need any assistance simply do what you do best, and focus on telling me so in your head.” He says calmly, you nod your head feeling you had everything you would need, _it is_ really sweet that he is concerned for you though. With his hand readied on the bathroom door handle, Gaster adds one last comment.

“After all dear...” He says smoothly with a sly smirk on his face, “...you’ve already screamed for me _plenty_ recently.” Before swiftly turning, and closing the door behind him, it was faint, but you definitely heard him outwardly chuckle too and it took you a second to process his devious comment.

“Fucking... _seriously_?” You mumble a bit frustrated under your breath, as you're removing your borrowed sweater, your embarrassment giving you a small rush of energy. “I swear he's some kind of... _Incubus._ ” You lament as you stubbornly fold the sweater and set it on the table to the far side of the sink, before a familiar echo floated through your subconscious.

_(“Ah, that may be, but for you alone. Besides, that's an interesting accusation Ember, seeing as your such a siren yourself.”)_

_(“Hey! Stay out of my head, seriously is your second doctorate degree in eavesdropping?”)_

You look at the things Gaster had mentioned he left for you on the opposite side table, closest to the bathtub.

_(“I have doctorate degrees in a number of different disciplines, including every and all sciences, math and statistics, as well as engineering, but no, eavesdropping is not one of them.”)._

You realize all the stuff he had out for you, is from a fancy organic place you love,[ Lush ](https://imgur.com/a/gq4PzI1) . You were confused though, cause the nearest Lush was at the galleria mall like, four hours away from your house, well only two hours past MEU into the next city, but _still_.

_(“Really? I was sure that someone, with your vastly superior and endless amount of knowledge, would have gotten a special degree in eavesdropping created just for you, Doctor.”)_

You don't believe in gendering soap products, because that's ridiculous, but you also know Gaster _probably_ didn't get this for himself. That and, all Lush products had expiration dates on them, they were all recent. _Exactly how far can Gaster teleport?_

_(“Ah, you must be referring to the doctorate that I alone have, in the complete understanding of all human souls then, correct?”)_

You also can't imagine him in any store, as _bubbly_ as Lush. Oh god those poor employees must have been so intimidated, the thought is actually funny. Oh my god there is a [ peach bath bomb ](https://imgur.com/a/am4gvFI) here, hell yes.

_(“They seriously made a whole degree for you? Ya know what, don't answer that. I'm taking my bath now ‘Doctor of everything’ mind tuning out?”)_

You drop the bath bomb into the tub, oh gosh it looks [ so awesome ](https://imgur.com/a/7GKDLtp) it's the small things in life that make you happy.

_(“If you wish it, incidentally, I feel as if I should inform you that your first comment was said out loud, Ember.”)_

You step into the [ swirling colorful water ](https://imgur.com/a/l8WCZFD).

_(“Oh, whoops.”)_

After you've relaxed and soaked your aching muscles thoroughly in the bath, you carefully washed your hair, being sure to avoid getting your shoulder wet. When you get out of the bath, you drain the tub, and dry yourself off, _oh god_ the bathbomb left orange suds on the sides of the tub, like _everywhere_. I mean, it's just _soap_ and will wash off with water, but it's actually really funny to you, for some reason. 

So, holding your towel closed and the folded sweater Gaster had lent you in your arms as you slowly stepped out of the bathroom. The orange bathbomb massacre you created was just too ridiculous, and you couldn't stop yourself from giggling. By the time you make eye contact with Gaster, who turned his chair to give you a curious look from his desk, you’re bursting into laughter.

“ _Pfft_ \- _hahaha_ s-sorry- I just-,” you tried to get words out through your laughter and failed until you collected yourself to speak again, “it's only your bathtub but- your, _pfft-_ your bath is _orange_ now-” you break to giggle again. “It totally washes off but it looks like-” you lightly clear your throat in an attempt to collect yourself again. “It looks like a peach smoothie just _exploded!”_ you were able to keep your composure - till the last word, and then continued your laughter. Gaster doesn't look upset, in fact he looks rather interested in the apparent joy that you experienced from the bath.

“You know Ember, I did not believe at first that something as trivial as sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid, mixed with scents oils and _coloring_ was something humans _actually enjoyed_ , but I stand corrected.” He huffs, and you’re finally able to regain your composure, you just smile and sigh happily as you walk over to him, your hair still dripping wet as it cascades over your shoulders.

“It _is_ at least _I think_ they’re fun, so don't knock it till you've tried it, _doctor_.” You say with a soft smile, “Here, thanks for letting me borrow this last night.” You say innocently, handing him back his sweater, your eyes scan the room as you're wondering where your clothes from last night might be. Before you could find them however, Gaster, who set his sweater that you gave him back on his desk, had gotten out of his chair and stood up rather quickly. He grabbed you by your waist and pulled you against him.

“ _Hey, wa-!?”_ You say as you're caught off guard from his unexpected quick movement, you blink and look up to him questionably doe-eyed.

“W-What is it? D-Did I say something weird?” You asked and you tried to step back, but Gaster’s left hand still held your body by your waist, keeping you firmly against him. You attempt to ask him what he's doing, but you get distracted when he brings his right hand to lightly brush against your neck. 

“It's nothing dear,” He starts, but his dark tone, the hungry look in his eyes, and the tight grip at your waist suggested otherwise. “I just need to change the bandage on your shoulder, your clothes and phone are on the bedside table.” He says, yet he makes no effort to release his hold on you.

“Oh, um t-thanks, I'm sure…. _oh no, ohmygosh.”_ You say, looking towards the direction of your phone in horror. “Damnit, Adelya probably thinks I’m-!” You start to panic and attempt to break out of Gaster’s hold to no avail. His eyes seem to be silently refusing to let you go, and he instead decides to calm you down by using the right hand at your neck, to lightly grasp your face, and guide your head gently, to redirect your attention back to him.

“She knows exactly where you are, Ember, there is no need to worry.” He assures you, and his effortlessly calm voice allows you to take a second to relax, you stop your attempt to leave Gasters embrace, and melt back into his arms.

“Wait...really?” You say confused, and he nodded faintly to confirm. “But how? Did you tell her or something?” You ask, even though that made no sense to you, maybe he called her using your phone or something?

“No my dear, she knew exactly who you were with the moment we left last night.” He says a sly smile starting to form on his face as he watches the gears in your head turn. You seemed to be trying to ignore the truth.

“Who told her... _when_?” You asked slightly nervously, looking at Gaster with an expression that pleaded with him to not say _exactly_ what he said next.

“ _You did, Ember_. She heard us in the alleyway, while attempting to stop a certain curious _someone_ from prying into our... _conversation_.” Gaster says, as if he didn't know they were there, until it was too late.

“Ugh, _what?_ Noooooo.” you whine leaning your head back slightly, “Let me guess, they overheard the whole thing too.” You said flatly, and when he nodded again to confirm, you lean your head forward to rest against his torso in an attempt to hide your despair. “ _Ooof course_ they did.” You say, a bit muffled as you continue to hide your face against Gaster in shame. “This is what I get for waiting till the last minute to put Sans in the friendzone.” You sighed.

“You don't owe him anything dear, our business is _none of his_ , after all. It was his own fault for trying to involve himself in something that he has _nothing to do with_.” He reassures you, and you suppose he had a point there. You give a quiet pause of acceptance and Gaster finally loosens his grip on you, allowing you to step back.

“Yeah, I guess...you're not _wrong_ about that, at least. I really just...don't want to think about any of that right now.” You say, deciding to hold off on saying anything more, you knew you would talk about all this later with Adelya anyway. “So, about my shoulder then…? Shall we check the damage _doctor~?_ ” You say in a semi-serious sultry tone, laughing lightly. However, once again, Gaster seemed _way_ too affected by your question, and it was at this point that you think you're starting to put the pieces together.

“ _Gaster,_ this doesn't make sense but, are you by any chance getting upset when I call you _‘doctor_ ’?” You heard him take in a sharp breath, before beginning to walk towards you, he quickly closed the gap between the two of you, and he held his right hand against the left side of your face, in an alluring and tender caress. 

“Actually,” He says, as he starts to slowly walk you backwards, a deviant glimmer of lust in his eyes. 

“It does quite…” With every step he takes towards you, you take a step back, and you hadn't even realized you had been backing up so much, until your legs hit the side of the bed.

“...the _opposite_.” You fall back against the bed slightly, just enough for you to be sitting down on the mattress. You try your best to respond to him and hide how excited his dominance was making you, _unsuccessfully._

“What, s-so you just have a big ego then huh, _doctor?_ ” You say flirtatiously, he's so close you can feel his breath graze your lips as he loomed over you, that you can hear a soft growl in his chest when you address him that way again. His intensity reminds you that you weren't sure if your body was ready for a round two with Gaster right now, maybe you _shouldn't_ have sassed him with a flirtatious comment.

“ _Not exactly_ ,” he says, snaking his right hand that was resting on your face, to move to the back of your head and your breath hitched. He never fails to make you at a loss for words when he does things like this.

“I _do_ like being respected.” Gaster says as his hand at the back of your head moves to tangle in your still-wet hair. He lightly grabs a large section of your locks and traps you in his grasp, giving your hair a small tug that is _just enough_ to tilt your head back. You attempt to hide your squeak of excitement as he continues.

“ _However,_ you...my _rebel vixen_ , when _you_ address me that way...” He brings his left hand up to drag his finger tips down the uninjured, right side of your neck. 

“ _I find it...highly…”_ He leans his face down to your exposed neck, where he briefly runs his hot tongue across your sweet smelling skin. “ _...intriguing._ ” He says, finishing his thought with the predatory growl that he lets only you hear; you respond with an excited whimper only he could make you give. 

“It makes me imagine you as _...my devoted assistant_.” He chuckles sadistically as he nips lightly at your earlobe, you can already feel your body heating up from the intensity of the moment.

_"I like being reminded that you submit to me, Ember._ ” He says with a ferocious purr that sends a shiver of arousal down your spine and just as you're about to moan his prefered term of endearment, he abruptly stops his motions entirely. 

Gaster promptly releases his grip on your hair, as he backs off to stand up straight. As if nothing had happened, Gaster turns around, walking away from you towards his desk to grab a box from the top drawer. All while you're sitting there on the bed, confused, turned on, and still only in your towel. 

“W-What _was_ _that_ just now _?_ _Seriously_?” You say, thoroughly flustered by Gasters merciless teasing.

“ _That_ my dear, was another lesson.” He says simply, walking back to where you're seated on the bed with what you now recognize as a medical kit of some kind in his hands.

“ _What?_ Yeah right, _sure.”_ You mumble still confused _*lesson...what even?*_ then, unable to resist, you speak up again to ask. “Just _what kind_ of lesson was _that_ supposed to teach then?” You say, crossing your arms and being half-heartedly grumpy. Gaster gets to work changing your bandage, as he pushes away your hair from your injured shoulder he answers your question.

“It's not _wise_ to provoke a sleeping lion, _Ember._ ” He says, as he removes your bandage. When he examines the bite mark he gave you, you can tell he’s restraining himself from doing _something._ You didn't know if he was trying to hold himself back from more lust or if he was upset over the state of your shoulder. You decide to learn your lesson for now, and you avoid teasing him any further, and instead try to lighten the mood a bit. 

“I'm a lion _too,_ ya know.” You let out a small dramatic huff that ends in a smirk, and you succeed in getting a faint smile from the doctor.

“That response is not surprising to me, assuming your markings are that of things you enjoy, would that be the explanation for the lion design on your back then?” He says, referring to the [ Tattoo](https://imgur.com/a/mQN1CuE) on your back.

“Lion desi-? _Oh,_ you mean my _tattoo_? Yeah that's... actually, that's kinda the one that's like my ‘life motto’, not that _all_ of my tattoo’s are as meaningful as that one though _I-_ .” You start to explain the meaning of your tattoo, but you worry you were blabbering too much and being annoying, so you silence yourself. “S-sorry, I'm rambling it's not that important actually…” you say, with an anxious look on your face. You look to the side to avoid, what you could only assume was an irritated look from Gaster, but once again his actual response surprises you.

“Now _why_...” he starts, but when he sees you aren't looking at him he sighs and pauses his movements, and sets down the sterile gauze he had prepared to clean your wound with. He uses his left hand to turn your face towards him, but you still won't make eye contact. “ _Strange_ ,” he takes in a cautious breath before asking you sincerely “Dear, why is it that when you’re sharing things you supposedly enjoy, your soul exhibits _immediate_ apprehension and worry?” He asks, and that gets you to make eye contact with him, as he continues to talk.

“Normally dear, I'd think you were anxious to tell _me_ specifically, but you were the one who had the desire to talk about this subject first and then denied _yourself_. I wonder how deeply your self loathing is ingrained.” He says clinically, and your eyes feel a bit glossy as you try and blink to clear them. 

“I-I don't _hate_ myself Gaster, I'm just...not used to being interesting enough for anyone to _care_ about what my boring tattoos mean.” You briefly try to rub the blur of moisture from your eyes, cause yeah your not wiping away your almost tears, just casually itching your eye to fix your focus.

“Ember, I can promise you that you are _endlessly_ interesting to me,” he resumes his meticulous cleaning of your bite mark as he continues. “I plan to learn everything about your past, present and future to get better analysis and data on your soul. _So…_ by all means Ember, _If_ there is something _so important_ to you that you _live your life by it_ , do tell me.” He says reassuringly.

“W-Well, when you ask me like _that,_ I guess it would just be rude not to tell you.” With a soft smile, you can tell he knows you appreciated what he said. “Um, okay so, there is this song by an artist I like, her stage name is ‘Lights’ and she's actually my favorite singer/songwriter.” You look at him slightly apprehensive but he still looks as if he wants you to continue, so you do. 

“Ah, right well, almost all of her songs end up relatable to me, but um back to the one song in particular, it describes the way I approach life the most.” Gaster was quiet and he seemed to listen intently while he applied some type of ointment to your shoulder. “The song is called [_‘Lions’_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbcynqAYOr4&ab_channel=LIGHTSFans) but with an exclamation point at the end, and the main chorus ends with the lyrics _‘You don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid’_.” Gaster begins to apply a decent sized adhesive bandage to your shoulder, and you have become comfortable enough around his quiet attention to confidently finish explaining to him. 

  
  


“That's how I see life, because none of us can really know what's gonna happen in the future. I know that, even though things may not be working out for me at the moment or that my hopes and dreams aren't safe right now, I can still move forward to be brave in everything I do. _I don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid._ ” When you finished your explanation-turned-passionate speech, Gaster had finished with your shoulder and was cleaning things up.

“So… yep.” You say as you look up at him, shyly signaling you were finished describing your meaning. He huffs out a soft chuckle and you look at him questioningly.

  
“Forgive my amusement, Ember. As far as I'm aware, the current definition of boring is to be ‘not interesting; or tedious’, correct?” He asks as he puts away his box of medical supplies, you slowly nod to agree with him while two summoned hands arrive from somewhere else to hand him a black piece of clothing. “So then, why is it you believe that the way you have _lived your life,_ up until this very moment-” he walks over to you, and you can tell the clothing he's offering you is a black sweater, similar to the one you had on this morning, but you hesitate to take it from his hands “-that, could very well be the _main reason_ you are in front of me now, is something to be classified as _boring?_ ” He asks as he moves to put the sweater over your head, and once it's around you, you're able to pull off the towel from under it. The length of the sweater was long enough to be a dress on you, but your mind was deep in thought over what Gaster had just asked you to notice.

“Oh, I guess I never thought of it that way…” You say softly, and Gaster didn't seem to think he got his point across to you, because as he helps move your hair out from under the sweater gently, he continues.

“ _Besides my dear_ , it's a very fitting mantra for someone with a soul such as your own.” He says softly, and a tiny whisper in the back of your mind, asks yourself how you ever found him intimidating in the first place.

* * *

When you called Adelya, she was happy to hear everything was alright with you, and she told you that Sans had accidentally _teleported her with him_ last night; when he tried to ditch Karaoke after spying on you and Gaster. She said she’d have been super worried, if not for hearing you _moan_ in the alleyway. Apparently, from what Sans told her, the _only_ thing you were in _immediate danger_ of with Gaster, was getting laid. Adelya seemed like she wanted to say more, but you could tell she was waiting for you to get back to do so in person, and you assured her you’d be home soon.

“Thanks for not calling the cops bestie, heh um, I'll...text you when I'm on my way back, okay? I’m not exactly sure _how long_ that's gonna be cause I don't really know-.” You _were_ going to say you had no idea where you were, but you knew saying that would just freak her out for no reason. “...-if I'm done talking about stuff yet.” You say, skillfully redirecting your thoughts.

_(“Okay, sure Rockstar. Just text me when you do figure out what time you’ll be back.”)_

You steal a glance at Gaster, who was at his desk patiently waiting for you as you made your phone call to your best friend.

“Will-do twinkle toes,” you say light-heartedly, and Adelya just giggles at your cute nickname for her. “I'll talk to you later then.” 

_(“Seeya soon Ember.”)_

  
  


When you end your call with Adelya you consider what you should say next to Gaster, actually, there really is _a lot_ of talking that needs to be done here; talking you _couldn't_ do when naked last night. You take a deep breath and approach Gaster at his desk, your clothes from last night tucked under your arm, and your phone held against your chest. You stop just in front of his desk, and as you do, he puts down a paper that you recognize as a page from your five page essay that you wrote for his class. You figured he must print them out to avoid looking at the light of a computer screen, though that 's kind-of a waste of trees. Come to think of it, so is that fireplace from last night, it’s been burning since last night and all through this morning; but before you could talk however, Gaster does so first. 

“I recycle, Ember.” He says rather amusedly, looking up at you, bracing his elbow on the armrest of his chair, he rests his head against the fingertips of his right hand to gracefully meet your gaze. “And the fireplace is gas powered, but that is _not_ what you planned on asking me now is it? So please, do ask me your _intended_ question, dear.” He says with a patient expression, encouraging you to speak.

“Well, not that this is _surprising_ to you I'm sure, but we really do have...to talk about all... _this_.” You motion to nothing in particular. “I mean, don't get me wrong I don't have a problem with the way things are going currently; but I have my school work to think about, and I don't take _dishonest shortcuts_.” He just nods knowingly, as he listens and you're glad he didn't think you would ask for an easy ‘A’ in his class.

“Me _aside_ even, you haven't explained what it is _you want_ from me, exactly. I mean, I know it has something to do with the betrayal lines on my soul, and I've looked into them as much as I could since our talk. But, as you said, there isn't any information out there about a bright soul with betrayal lines, so I'm flying blind here and I'm going to need you to at least explain the things you _do know_ about all this.” You sigh, finally able to speak your mind clearly for the first time, if only slightly, about this whole thing. 

“Yes, well,” Gaster starts, as he stands up out of his chair to round his desk. He leans his weight against its side, his arms crossed as he continues. “I believe I should start by saying, I _never_ thought your intentions were to fabricate your grades in my class at _any point._ Not that you would _need_ my assistance anyway, judging by your first assignment; but you know that already.” It's your turn to nod and you smile at his compliment as he continues.

“As for the things I want...for now, I don't wish to worry you with the details.” He says, and you shift your weight to one side impatiently, though you wait as he further explains.

“There are things I must prepare first, before I explain things fully to you; but I assure you I _will_ do so later this evening, Ember.” Gaster says as he uncrosses one of his arms to lightly rest his hand against his chin in thought, before looking back at you. “But I can _also_ assure you, I know exactly what I need from you, and I've thought of every possible problem you may have with everything as well. So, you do not need to worry about _my needs_ , dear. Instead, you should focus on what _you want from me_ exactly.” He says relaxing his arms to rest his hands against the edge of his desk. You didn't know what he meant by that exactly, but before you started to spiral your thoughts about it; you responded to the sentence he said before it.

“Oh, um alright I could wait till tonight I guess …” you fiddle with your phone in your hand “...what time?” You question, and he steps towards you, and taps the phone in your hand. It lights up and you raise your eyebrow at him curiously, but you don't get a chance to ask about it before Gaster puts both of his hands on your waist, and answers your question.

“Eight-thirty dear, meet me at my office in Knox.” He says softly, pulling your hips close against him.

“S-Sure.” you say, flustered at his sudden gentle but forward demeanor, he leans down to kiss you and you lift your heels off the ground slightly to meet his lips as he does. 

Then, you hear the sound of Adelya squeal. Surprised and understandably confused, you pull back from the kiss and open your eyes, to see you were standing in your dorm room. The look on Gaster's face was thoroughly entertained, and you just rolled your eyes.

“Ya know I was trying to _avoid scaring the hell out of her_ , Gaster.” You say with a false display annoyance, then giggling, you shake your head and step back from his embrace. Gaster quickly glances at Adelya, who was on her bed, hugging her pillow in shocked defense.

“I did ‘text’ her like she asked, dear.” He starts, straightening his posture, “I’ll be in contact with you tonight then, Ember.” Gaster says calmly, before turning and dissolving from existence. After letting out a huge sigh and tossing your stuff on your bed, you approach Adelya. You tucked one arm under the other that rested against your forehead, and you were at an absolute loss for words. Thankfully, Adelya had a few.

* * *

“What the _hell_ Ember!?” Adelya finally snaps out of her shock to yell at you, lightly huffing out a laugh to calm her frazzled state.

“Ah-I’m sorry Adelya, I didn't know he was gonna _do that_.” You laugh in nervous apology. Adelya just firmly sets her pillow back on her bed, and stands up.

“ _Look_ it's _fine_ , but look girlie I got _a lot_ to fill you in on... nice sweater by the way.” she rolled her eyes at you and huffed again, poking fun at your impromptu sweater dress.

“Thanks, it's _super soft._ ” You say holding the ends of Gasters large sweater to show it off a bit taking on a sly smile, and after the night you _both_ just had, neither of you could hold back from just laughing at the whole odd situation.

“Oh my god, you're such a dork, okay you're probably gonna wanna sit for this,” she says, pulling out her bean bag chair to the middle of the room, and you followed suit by grabbing yours to do the same. When the two of you were seated, Adelya began to tell you what happened after Sans had teleported her with him last night on accident.

“I went to put a hand on his shoulder to confront him, and also to pull him away from listening in on the two of you, but then all of a sudden, I was toppling over him in his room!” Adelya says and you groan in embarrassment, you end it with a laugh though, after picturing the ridiculous image of Adelya getting teleported unwillingly with Sans.

“Sorry, it's just that, that part is the _only funny thing_ about this whole situation.” You smile and she agrees with you.

“Yeah it was _super funny_ at first, until he started freaking out, of course.” she grumbles.

“Wait so, what happened in the bar first though? How did he get past you without me hearing you talk to him? Cause I _know_ you wouldn't have just let him walk by and listen in.” You ask her, truly confused at why you didn't hear anyone outside the alleyway.

“Well, when I _tried_ to approach Sans in the bar to make sure he wouldn't go after you, he instead got up and went into the bathroom.” She sighed in frustration, “I waited for a few minutes until Papyrus asked where he went, and when I said ‘the bathroom’ he replied with _‘skeletons don't use the bathroom’._ ” She face palmed her forehead, “So of course I rushed outside cause I assumed he was out there arguing with _you_.” Removing her hand from her forehead, she instead used it to point to you. “And _you_ have _got_ to learn to control your volume girl.” She laughs, shaking her head.

“Okay, damn don't exaggerate, I couldn't have been _that_ loud.” You said denying her accusation, but you still hid your face in your hands to cover your embarrassment as she continued.

“You were not loud enough for _everyone_ to hear you, but loud enough for me and _the skeleton waiting around the corner_ to hear.” She smirked at you, “I heard you beg him to fuck you, you said his name and, with all the stuff I _already knew,_ it wasn’t hard to guess who you were with and what was happening.” She giggled and nudged your left shoulder playfully, but you hissed at the remaining soreness you felt from your bite mark.

“Hey, are you okay? What's wrong with your arm?” Adelya asked worriedly.

“Ah, it's actually my shoulder, I'll explain as soon as you finish your side of the story, Kay?” You assure her. She seemed concerned but continued knowing she would hold you to that.

“Alright...well, I heard you guys almost immediately after waking outside. It was late so there wasn't anyone _else_ around thankfully, but I didn't want to cockblock you by announcing my presence either. So when I turned and saw Sans snooping, I figured I would try to pull him away quietly, but well that's when he teleported both of us back on campus and to his room.” Adelya dropped her hands in her lap before she told the rest of her side of the story.

“He was… _a mess..._ ” she patted your leg to help soften the blow of Sans and his terrible response to everything that had happened, “...but don't you worry, I made sure Sans cooled down enough to not do anything too drastic about all this. I made sure to tell him _repeatedly_ that you never meant to upset him or hurt him in any way, and I'm pretty sure he understood that by the end of our discussion. So, I think _you_ are in the clear for now...but I can't say the same for _Gaster_.” An exhausted look had spread across Adelya’s face as she continued. “I'm definitely still going to need more time to talk with Sans about _him,_ that’s for sure. He needs the support, Ember I just...I don't think he has the _healthiest_ coping mechanisms; and you _know_ me, I can't just leave him alone and ignore it.” She sighed. 

“Yeah, I _know,_ you're a saint Adelya, I owe you _so_ much at this point.” You slumped down into your bean back chair.

“I’m sure I’ll cash in the favor one day. Alright well look, I told _my_ side of the story, now it's _your turn_ to spill Ember.” She said as she equally relaxed in her bean bag chair, prepared to listen to your explanation.

* * *

Unlike _every other sexual experience you've ever had_ , you actually withheld most, if not all, of the dirty details from your night with Gaster. Adelya respects your privacy though, so she never really pried too much beyond what you told her. However, when you got to the fact that Gaster bit your shoulder in the heat of the moment, and that it was currently bandaged, she insisted on seeing it out of worry. You assured her it wasn't that bad, and that Gaster had just changed the bandage; so it would be stupid to remove the expertly applied covering just to show her. Adelya was apprehensive, but trusted you would be fine. She trusted your word, that is, until you took off your borrowed sweater to change into your own clothes. Then, she _flipped out_.

_“OhmygOD!?”_ Adelya said startled.

See, you hadn't had the chance to _see yourself_ properly yet, the candles Gaster had put near the bath for you; were not bright enough, or close enough to the mirror for you to be able to see your reflection that well. But now, under the fluorescent lights of your dorm room, as you looked at yourself in the full body mirror that hung on the inside or your door, you couldn't exactly blame Adelya for freaking out. 

“Oh, _shit_.” You say as you gingerly run your fingers over both sides of your neck, and down your chest, you were covered in black and purple hickeys. On your left side, in the area around your covered bite wound, that was at the dip between your neck and shoulder, you could definitely see more deep bruising.

_“DID HE HURT YOU!? I'LL KICK HIS ASS!”_ Adelya, who barely raises her voice, was panicking and shouting as she ran up to you, attempting to examine you closer. You had to say her name several times to get her to calm down enough so she would listen to you.

“Woah-WoAH-WOah, Adelya, _Adelya_ please stop.” She was furious, but more concerned for you, so she tried her best to hold back more of her freak-out and paused to listen to you. Her mood was so tense, you could cut it with a knife.

“I _asked_ him to do this to me, okay? I _enjoyed_ all of it, I _consented_ to it, and I _don't_ regret this. If I told him to stop, I have confidence he would have, okay?” You said calmly, and she looked less mad, but still not fully snapped out of it. You sighed, putting your hands on both sides of her face, you guide her to nod along with you as you repeat. “I’m okay, _Okaaaay_?” You say, giving her a warm, reassuring smile. Adelya finally seemed to relax, as she slowly dropped her shoulders to release the tension in her body, and took a deep breath.

“O-Okay, it's just, this is just a step _further_ from your normal kinks, I'm not here to judge Ember, I just wanna make sure you're safe.” Adelya insisted, and you assured her with another nod, she fixed her posture and groaned in more exhaustion. She turned around to walk back to her bean bag chair, and flopped back down into it again. “I don't think I could handle anymore craziness, at least for the next twenty-four hours, seriously I'm suffering here.” She lamented. Your laughter of agreement was contagious and the two of you began tiredly giggling at the absurdity of _everything_ again. 

“That's rough buddy, but yeah _saaaame_.” Taking one more look in the mirror you remember you had plans with Haru later today. “ _I ammm definitely,_ going to have to wear an outfit that can hide all this; if we're still going to meet up with Haru today, that is.” You say thinking of what you could wear to conceal all your hickeys and your shoulder bandage.

“Yeah, she texted me at noon; about an hour ago, we're still on. But good luck with trying to hide _all that_.” Adelya scoffs, motioning to her own neck as she does, still lounging back on the bean bag chair and staring up at the ceiling.

“Honestly though, you know I really don't want anyone else knowing about me and Gaster. I just hope you _really did_ convince Sans enough to keep it to himself.” You pause for a moment. “It's not like I don't think Haru is cool or anything, we just haven't known her long enough to clue her in on something so... _scandalous_.” You smirk, only you could get yourself into this kind of hurricane situation. 

“Yeah, for sure, I understand. All this should only be between us, Dr. Gaster, and one, most likely, unhinged-skeleton.” She says and you laugh, a hint of worry still in your voice.

“Yeah, heh... _a-anyways_ even if I _did_ want to explain this to Haru, I don't know _how_ or _where_ I would start.” You say as you're digging through your clothes for something comfy to wear that could conceal both your neck and shoulder. “What time were we supposed to meet her at Triple-C again?” You ask Adelya, ‘Triple-C’ was the nickname for the ‘Cozy Campus Café’ that was on the second floor of the same building the dining hall was in.

“She said she should be coming back from the pet store around two-ish, so we should be there ‘round two-thirty; she also said we could go ahead and just meet her there instead of waiting for her back here.” Adelya responded.

“We have a pet store in town?” You ask, “I didn't notice it when we drove in on our way to Grillby’s last night.” 

“Yeah, it's past the combo hair and nail salon, I was thinking of going and getting some fish friends actually.” Adelya says as she sits up in her bean bag, well, as much as anyone _can_ sit up in those things.

“It would be nice, but we don't have enough room or money for a proper tank, so it wouldn't be fair to the fish.” You said matter-of-factly, too many people put fish in tiny bowls. You knew Adelya wouldn't do _that_ , but you also knew that meant she was picturing getting a _large_ tank, which you really didn't have the space or funds for.

“Why did she go to the pet store anyway?” You ask, but before Adelya gets to answer your question, you finally found _something_ to wear and you laugh loudly in amusement. You pull out a sweater from your closet.

“ _Ohmygahahahah-”_ cue your uncontrollable laughter. Adelya was amused and intrigued at your giddy excitement.

“What is it Rockstar, find something good to wear?” She guessed.

“Oh _yes I did_ girl, I forgot I even _had_ this!” You say as you hold up the [ sweater. ](https://imgur.com/a/TXB3MW6)

“Oh my _god_ , that's _hilarious_ , you have to wear that, especially when you see him tonight.” Adelya says encouraging you.

“Ya think?” You say wondering if it would be _too_ silly.

“For sure, you can't really notice what it says unless you're up close, and by then he’ll be close enough for you to see his flustered reaction~.” she says ending in a sing-song voice.

“Gaster doesn't really get flustered, it’s more like...he gets _intense._ ” You say, and you're getting flustered just _thinking_ about it.

“Ohh~? Do tell Ember~.” Adelya says, and you just roll your eyes in amusement.

“That's something you definitely don't need to know~.” you say back, playfully mocking her sing-song voice back to her.

“Whatever you say Ember~, I'm sure the doctors' magic acts like your own personal pharmacy~.” Adelya smiles and shrugs, but you both giggle at her comment.

You decided you _would_ wear your ‘Girls Bite Back’ sweater, it was the only turtle-neck top you owned after all. This way, unlike if you just wore a hoodie, you could actually move your hair around freely and not have to use it to also help hide things. You and Adelya finished getting ready, you brushed out your hair which was still a bit wet from earlier, so you quickly ran a blow dryer through it; to style and dry it.

  
There hadn't been a single moment where you didn't think about Gasters question this morning. You really had some serious contemplating to do here, what exactly did you want from all this? Better yet, what did you want from _him_? As you asked yourself this, you knew there were quite a few things, actually, The one main thing you wanted though, you wanted to work towards _getting rid_ of your betrayal lines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Get yourself the new and improved void Gaster, he’s Bluetooth compatible!” 
> 
> "You look familiar. Did we have class together? I could have sworn we had chemistry"
> 
> \- Just a few things we thought of when writing. I KNOW I said I would have the deal fully described this chapter, but it works better being described in the next chapter ((AND IT IS DECRIBED I PROMISE ITS ALREADY WRITEN xD)) your going to be happy I waited TRUST ME. ALSO sorry again for no smut this time 😭 But this chapter is like 21 pages long, and I have like 20 page of the next chapter out and its ALMOST done, its like 5:00am over here so I'm going to sleep. When I wake up I'm gunna nonstop work till the next chapter and THERE WILL BE SMUT <3
> 
> If for some reason you couldn't use this link ( https://lingojam.com/WingdingsTranslator ) to translate things, it reads:  
> "I don't have the strength to stay away from you any longer."
> 
> -🔥


	6. Dangerous Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This will continue until, you either ask me to stop, or break off the agreement.” He says elegantly, your brain was finally beginning to realize he was serious, and that all this was actually happening. You lightly drop your phone down in your lap to calm your breathing and focus on holding back tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH GOSH ITS FINALLY DONE! Warning there is some serious angst in the beginning BUT HOOOO BOY the smut at the end makes up for it 1,000%
> 
> Once again you'll need this https://lingojam.com/WingdingsTranslator
> 
> Ya'll ready for a rollercoaster ride? I sure hope so, cause here we go...🔥

When you and Adelya got to the café, you only had to wait a few minutes before Haru found you both, and after you ordered your respective drinks the three of you sat on the comfy cafe couch. You all chatted and sipped on your drinks, yours was coffee, and Adelya and Haru both had tea. 

You explain to Haru how last night didn't go too well, and that Sans got upset when he ‘found out’ about your feelings. You told her the _truth_ while avoiding anything about Gaster. Adelya had said that when Sans followed you out of the bar she tried to cool him down, but was teleported to his room instead, and that you took an uber home. 

“That reminds me I forgot to mention Ember,” Adelya added, “I used Sans phone to text Alphys last night. I asked her to let everyone know that we both had to go somewhere fast, and Sans did us a favor and teleported us there. It was all I could come up with at the time.” She said, with an exasperated sigh. 

“It's cool, thanks,” you start, you told Adelya and Haru that you definitely needed to just relax and do _absolutely nothing_ tomorrow, and they both understood. Although, Adelya couldn't join you in relaxing sadly, she still needed to take the campus bus down into town so she could pick up her car and drive it back. Adelya asked Haru to come with her, and Haru was happy to tag along with her, saying she would love to check out what the bar you were at last night looked like.

“I'm sure all the _good_ parking spots will be taken by the time I drive us back, but it's cool.” Adelya complained light-heartedly. She looked forward at nothing in particular at first, but soon after her eyes caught sight of a familiar yellow lizard monster across the room, who was just getting her drink from the counter.

“Oh, hey guys, it's Alphys! She doesn't look like she's _here_ with anyone though? How about we invite her to sit with us?” Adelya said rather chipper.

“Oh, Alphys? As in the one you guys met last night? The head nurse, right?” Haru asked, her nose twitching curiously, and you nod to confirm.

“Yeah, she's really nice, they all were actually.” You say a bit guilty, you didn't get to personally explain why you left, Adelya knew you felt bad for everything, and gave you an understanding smile as you offered to talk to Alphys. “I'll go invite her over, I gotta apologize to _someone_ at least, for ditching last night.” You say in self reprimand.

“Sure, we’ll just wait here for ya then.” Haru says with an encouraging smile, and you give a determined nod as you set your coffee down on the nearby table. Getting up from the couch, you walk over to Alphys, who notices you halfway through your approach.

“Oh, h-hey Ember, nice to see you again.” She says as you’re within ear-shot. “I-I didn't get the c-chance to say goodbye t-to you yesterday.” Alphys says sweetly.

“Hey Alphys, yeah I...I actually came over to apologize for that, I don't usually do that kind of thing.” You give a sorry smile as you continue to explain. “See, something _really_ important came up, and I had to take care of it right away. Adelya came with me to help, and Sans got us both where we needed to be.” You didn't really want to lie to her, and it was a flimsy excuse at best, but thankfully; Alphys wasn't the type to pry.

“It's a-alright Ember, no need to apologize t-to me, or any of us, you didn't seem like the kind of person w-who would leave without saying g-goodbye. it's actually nice to hear Sans helped you last night; we w-were worried he was stuck in one of his _moods_ again.” She said, taking a small sip of her coffee.

“Oh, _yeah...well_ , I'm sure everything will be fine.” You say, you didn't want to talk about Sans right now, so you change the subject. “So, uh I'm actually sitting over there-” you point to the couch across the cafe where Adelya and Haru wave, “-with Adelya and our friend Haru. If you're not busy right now, would you like to come sit with us?” You say, to Alphys with a friendly smile.

“O-Oh, that would be nice a-actually, I'm not doing anything right now, the weekends are m-my days off from my job at the infirmary.” She says.

As the two of you walk back over to Adelya and Haru, Alphys explains that normally on Sundays, she would watch anime till around 6pm. Then, when Undyne got done with her schedule at the gym, they would watch shows together. You also found out that Undyne was a personal trainer for the athletes here on campus at the gym. When everyone was seated, the four of you talked about your interests, and the three of you told Alphys your majors. 

You had quickly mentioned one of your classes was ‘psychology of human souls and their behaviors’, and you almost tried to back peddle. But you calmed down, and reminded yourself it was _okay_ for people to know you were in Gaster’s class, they just couldn't know about _everything else_. You were pleasantly surprised with Alphys response, she was the first one to act completely positive to that information, congratulating you for getting into one of Gaster’s courses. 

“Lots of people like t-to theorize their own r-rumors about him, but all Gaster does is o-observe. People start to mentally spiral under s-strict observation, and i-if they're intimidated by him from the start, t-their paranoia is only going to get worse.” She says, and you agreed with her, people were always psyching themselves out about nothing.

“T-the students _and_ subjects who experience n-negative things around him, are so quick to blame _him_ for it. I know he may be strange, b-but he means well, s-so don't let him make you nervous, Ember.” She says reassuringly.

“Thanks Alphys, I agree, I definitely don't think he’s as scary as everyone says.” You nod, appreciating her encouraging words.

“D-Don't go underestimating him now either, t-though.” Alphys tags on with a smile, and you can't help by laughing lightly in the hilarity of the truth of her comment.

“No worries Alphys, I’m not the kind to underestimate _anyone_ , promise.” You assure her and give an ‘O.K.’ symbol with your hand as you drink the last of your coffee. 

Alphys seemed pleased at your response, and when everyone ordered their second round of drinks, you started to talk about your own personal passions. Adelya talked about loving dance, but she never wanted to make a career out of it, so she came here to get a general studies degree. Haru talked about loving flowers and plants, and how she wanted to open up a florist shop, so she came here to get a degree in business. She also mentioned she danced recreationally too, and that it was a beloved hobby of hers. 

When it came time for you to explain your passions, you let your heart sit on your sleeve for a moment; as you explained how _all you wanted to do_ was be a successful singer/songwriter. You mentioned again your reasoning for being here, and how almost all your problems boiled down to not having enough money or support. Adelya agreed, she added that even if you had ignored and alienated your parents to hit the road this year, Adelya couldn't have gone with you. She wanted to go to college, and you told her that you would never ask for her to change such a big decision like that, anyway. If you went now you would be broke, and physically alone the conversation had become a bit solemn after you said that. However, in an attempt to lighten the mood, Alphys mentioned a few interesting things to you.

“Y-You really are a great vocalist E-Ember, h-have you heard of the talent showcase the college puts on every two months?” Alphys asks you.

“Seriously, they _have_ something like that here? That's pretty rare for a college to organize something like that, and so _often_ too.” You question, but Alphys just nods and explains further.

“Frisk started it when they were a student here, a-and the college gets funding for them f-from a friend of mine. Frisk wanted there t-to be an opportunity for monsters and humans to show off a-all types of skills. I-It’s not _just_ a musical or ‘show t-talent’ showcase either, the first two hours of the event are held in the c-conference center on campus. T-That's where academic and non-performance participants can set up and demonstrate whatever they have to show. 

The b-best part is, every now and then a few times a year, talent scouts and company executives of all different kinds m-make appearances at the show. The other t-two hours are reserved for show type talent, but y-you have to record and send in your audition to be reviewed at least a month before the showcase, to get a spot in the event. The n-next one is at the end of November.” Alphys says as she finished her explanation, and you were stoked at this new information.

“Woah seriously!? That's _so_ awesome, Frisk... as in the Frisk who broke the barrier, right?” You question and Alphys nodded to confirm smiling at your enthusiasm. Frisk had gone to this college but had graduated just a few years ago. “So I still have a few weeks to send in an audition for it then! Oh, who judges the show by the way?” you ask excitedly.

“Oh, n-no one really judges or _wins_ t-the showcase’s, it's not really a competition, s-sorry.” Alphys says sheepishly.

“Ah darn, well, it's no worries Alphys. Honestly, I’d just be happy to have a chance to practice and maybe get some feedback from other fellow singers. I guess I was just hoping there may have been some kind of small prize money, or campus store credit.” You laugh and Adelya chimed in too.

“We could use a break from being broke.” Adelya said and you laughed with her on that one. 

“I'll _definitely_ still try out though, it sounds fun! Heck, maybe I’ll get super lucky or something and get approached by a producer or record company for a deal.” You say shrugging, everyone agreed with you, there was no harm in trying after all. Alphys seemed to have more to say though, and she shared another idea.

“O-Oh! You know, _actually_ I-If you're looking for prize money there _is_ one other show I know of.” she says happily, pleased she may be of more help.

“ _Oh really?_ Let's hear it, what’cha got for me Alphys?” You say curiously.

“T-The same friend, who I mentioned that funds the twice monthly showcase here, actually runs two performance-art competitions a year a-at the Galleria mall in the town. Y-You know that mall that's in the bigger city a few hours away?” You all nodded, and you were specifically on the edge of your seat as she continued. “T-The top prize is actually t-two-thousand dollars.”

“Woah, two grand, _seriously!?_ ” Adelya and Haru both joined you in excitement. “But wait, It’s already September though, they must’ve had the first show of the year already, right? Have they held the second competition yet?” you ask Alphys eagerly.

“N-no actually, it's coming up though.” she says, your mind starts racing maybe you can get in an audition just in time? If you could win that two grand, you could afford basic necessities without a problem, well at least for a while, it could help make things here a little less stressful. 

“When is it?” You say, you already owed Adelya so much, but maybe she would even let you put some of it away; for when you finally hit the road.

“At the end of the m-month.” Alphys says, and you deflate.

“What's wrong Ember?” Haru asks, seeing you visibly distraught.

“That's only a little over two weeks from now, there's no way they are still accepting auditions for contestants. Even just the accompanying music tracks, for the already accepted participants, usually have to be sent in _like a month_ in advance for review. Especially for something big like this, so there's no way I'm getting into the competition this time around.” You sigh, maybe next year you could try to get in, but Alphys interrupts your train of thought.

“Y-You know Ember, as I said t-the person who runs it is a good friend of mine, they owe m-me a favor or two, if you could g-get your instrumental track done and send it over by tomorrow nig-” You can't help but interrupt Alphys with your over exuberant reaction.

“You can get me in!? Really!? _Ohmygosh thank you so much_! I don't even know-” You’re gently reminded to calm yourself by Adelya who lightly puts a hand on your arm. “O-Oh, hah right I'm sorry, I just got really excited.” You apologize to Alphys, regaining your composure. Sometimes you _actually_ _did_ need to be reminded to be calm, then on the times where its not even necessary, you cut yourself off. It was a continuous, vicious-cycle.

“I-It's really okay, I understand Ember, why d-don’t I give you my email and c-cell phone number so you can let me know w-when you send over your track?” Alphys suggests, and you happily do so.

* * *

After you exchange information with Alphys it's around 4:30pm, Haru had homework to finish, and Adelya wanted to go back to the dorm to relax. So you, Adelya and Haru parted ways with Alphys and walked back to the dorm together. 

“So, have you thought of what song you wanna sing at the competition?” Adelya asks, Haru who was also interested in your decision, nods in agreement to her question. You knew you had to choose a song soon if you were going to have enough time. You had to grab your computer and microphone, and record your background vocals on an instrumental track. You would need somewhere silent, to record whatever song you ended up picking, and you think you had decided on one that would be precisely right for putting in powerful emotion into. Nothing like singing a song that your current emotions represent for an impactful performance.

“Yeah actually, I think I have the perfect one for this.” You say and you're filled with determination, you were more than brave enough to compete and give your all for this competition.

* * *

When Gaster left you with your roommate, he was reassured when reminded she had a soul with mainly different shades of blue. Her patience and integrity were perfect traits to balance your bravery and determination, and she would continue to create an ideal stable environment for you and your soul. He was also glad she did not intend to cause him any trouble, for the time being at least. She quickly became part of his plan from the start, after he observed how well the two of you complemented each other at the mixer, the wavelengths of your souls balanced each other perfectly. 

Gaster has seen many examples of strong friendships like this in souls over the years, but the excess brilliance of the light in your soul, and the significantly large amount of Hit Points she had in hers, was a recipe for a _particularly_ strong friendship. Large amounts of Hit Points in a human soul were somewhat rare, as only around 20% of humans ever end up obtaining such large amounts. HP is only cultivated over many heartbreaks and struggles, by constantly being damaged and torn down, yet still healing and reforming. It made sense to him that someone with your obscure soul, had a best friend who was filled with patience, integrity and an _abundance_ of Hit Points. 

Gaster needed to gather all his research in case you asked for proof on the things he would tell you about your soul's condition eventually. Of course, most of the things he gathered about a soul in _your specific state_ were only his sheer speculations, but he was rather confident in his abilities and knowledge to explain things to you clearly, if asked. Whatever question you may have, he was ready to answer it accurately, after all, he couldn't let you know he was going into this _just about as blindly_ as you were. He did have tests, evaluations and analysis planned for you and your soul that he wanted to enact and conduct, but most were ones that couldn't really be explained in a short time period. 

Statistically, Gaster knew the longer he talked, the more uneasy a subject became to a proposition, so he needed to make things clear and concise, just like the five page essay you had written. He took the liberty of obtaining your medical file from the infirmary, though he wouldn't _read it_ until you fully agreed to his deal, or course. He knew exactly what he needed from you and the agreement; he knew he could get you to accept. However, he wasn't exactly sure how much convincing Adelya may need to go along with his plan as well. But Gaster knew if he presented the plan to you, and you wanted to move forward with things, you would do all the convincing her, for him. 

After also obtaining your financial records, he learned that your parents were paying your tuition and that you had a private bank account as well. You had provided only your personal account to charge any late fees or discretions too, but he knew you only had _exactly_ three dollars and fifteen cents in that account. He found this out when he checked your banking application, after he copied your phone data, to his, at the creek Tuesday. He justified this as necessary data to prepare, the only thing he checked from your phone was your bank account and phone number anyway, he respected your privacy with _everything else._

He returned to his office around 5pm, he needed to gather everything he had printed, he refused to use his laptop. He despised any unnecessary light, the only light source that he could tolerate was that from the warm flicker of flames. He spent far too long submerged in darkness, with only the vision of your soul as his light, he became accustomed to the dark. 

He could hear that you were singing somewhere as of now, but he wasn't close enough to hear your words; just the melody. Just as he had perfectly organized everything he needed into his briefcase, he felt the oncoming presence of a soul through the void, and then he heard a light rush of air. He looked down at the intrusive skeleton, standing just past his desk. Gaster knew Sans wouldn't leave him alone until he said what he wanted, so with an unenthusiastic look he took a seat in his chair.

“To _what_ do I owe the pleasure, Sans?” Gaster says, giving Sans an apathetic look as he leaned back in his chair, resting his elbow on the armrest, with his head braced against the fingertips of his hand.

“You know exactly ‘what’ you fucking _plague doctor._ ” Sans spits, but Gaster just laughs.

“I do not remember offering my medical assistance during the Pestilence, but if you know something I don't then _by all means_ , do tell.” He smirks at Sans, who was absolutely fuming.

“I don't know _how-_ or **_when_ ** you poisoned her mind but you need to **_stop_ ** before I **_make_ ** you.” He seemed to be breathing heavily, was he attempting to restrain himself? How amusing. Just the thought of doing something so heinous as ‘poisoning’ your mind irritated Gaster. It seemed Sans had already cast him as the villain in the delusional theater of his mind. _Well the show must go on then,_ Gaster thought.

“Is that all you came here to say then?” Gaster casually motions with his hand to the rest of the office, as if to address more than just Sans. “Then, _if you don't mind-_ ” Gaster prepared himself to leave, but he could feel Sans’s magic attempting to try and hold him in place. _Hilarious,_ Gaster thought to himself, but he indulged Sans for a few moments more.

“I **_do_ ** mind, actually. What are your _real_ plans for her? Why exactly do you even _want_ her as a subject?” Sans says with sheer malice, _assuming_ he was successfully holding Gaster down in his seat, Sans took a step forward.

Sans _assumed wrong_ , though.

“I have many plans for her, but I suppose what you're actually asking here is _‘what makes her special’,_ yes?” He raises an eyebrow, casually leaning forward in his chair with ease. “Seeing as she has a bright soul and all? _Well,_ ” Gaster effortlessly stands up from his seat, much to Sans despair. _“Let me_ **_show_ ** _you then.”_ Gaster narrowed his eyes while looking at Sans, and observed his shocked expression as he showed the skeleton what only Gaster could see easily. Your bright soul, _covered in betrayal lines_.

“That can't be _real_ , that _isn't possible_ a soul can’t...it’s something _else,_ there's something _more,_ you're just _twisting things_ in my head.” Sans says in defiance.

“ _Oh your right,_ that isn't _everything_ I’m after here, I also plan to _further conduct the experiments of last night_ **_too_** _.”_ Gaster says with a wicked smirk. “I'm more than willing to share _those_ with you as well, but just the _audio._ The rest I’ll keep between myself and _Ember,_ you understand _don't you_? Doctor-patient confidentiality and all.” Gaster chuckles as he walks around his desk to Sans. Before the skeleton could put much thought into it, he took the bait and he asked what he shouldn't have.

“ ** _Bastard_** _, what did you do to-!?_ ” Sans tried to stop himself, but your screams of passion forced their way into his mind. He tried to block them out as Gaster leaned down slightly to make eye contact with the skeleton that was falling apart in front of him.

_“I fucked her till she screamed she belonged to_ **_only me_** _, of course._ ” Gaster said with a territorial growl, before regaining his composure to add, “There’s _one more thing_ I found interesting about her, would you like to know what that is? _”_ Gaster started, Sans stayed quiet, the lights in his eye sockets gone. Gaster tilted his head slightly as if he was thinking of how to word his next few sentences, before he continued “Oh _right,_ she told me she couldn't stop lusting for **me,** _even when she was with you,_ how unfortunate, _for you that is._ ” Gaster chuckled at the pathetic example of a ‘dark threatening aura’ Sans tried to create around him. “Of course, it only made her **_want me more_ ** though, _so really_ , I should be _thanking you_ for that.” Gaster finished his Merciless taunting, just as Sans growled in rage and threw himself back into the void, and Gaster was alone in his office once more.

☝︎︎⚐︎⚐︎👎︎📪︎ ☠︎⚐︎🕈︎ 💧︎❄︎✌︎✡︎ ✌︎🕈︎✌︎✡︎ ☞︎☼︎⚐︎💣︎ ☟︎☜︎☼︎📬︎

* * *

  
  
  


You returned to your dorm around 5pm, you practiced and warmed up to your full vocal power, neighbors be damned. Adelya answered the door a few times to ask those annoyed to _‘just give you one hour’_ to finish a really important recording. Adelya stayed completely silent, as you taped a few foam sheets inside your closet to reduce sound pollution; you grabbed your computer and microphone and shut yourself inside your closet, while you recorded your vocals. When you finally finished, you returned to sit at your bed to use your editing software and make sure the audio track was properly leveled. You couldn't let your background vocals be louder than the music, and you had to check for any clipping in the recording as well. When you were finally finished, it was around 7:00pm, and you knew you would need to walk to Knox soon to meet Gaster. Taking into account the walk time, you still had a little over an hour to spare. You undressed and switched into a cute black lace bra and panty set, _just in case._

As you were putting on your underwear though, you realized something odd when you caught a quick glance of your body in the mirror. The hickeys on your body from Gaster were considerably more faded than they were the last time you looked. You weren't exactly going to _complain_ about that, so you just shrugged and finished freshening yourself up. You changed from the jeans you had on prior into tight back-laced [ leggings ](https://imgur.com/a/Y02A9mi) that did wonders to show off your butt. You did put your sweater back on though; you still had to wear it _just in case._ The love bites were definitely still dark enough to be noticeable up close, and you really didn't want to explain them to anyone; especially if a certain _someone_ tried to stop and talk to you about things. You were just about ready to send your track to Alphys when your phone started to ring; you checked the caller ID, it was _actually_ your father this time.

“Hey dad, what's up?” You ask calmly.

_(“Hey (Y/N), me and your mother just called in to see how your first week at college was, you’re on speaker phone, so say hi.”)_

Oh, well this was nice of them, you should tell them about the competition, and maybe the showcase here on campus too.

“Hey mom, it's nice to hear from you guys, my first week has been _hectic_...for sure, but hey I think things are really starting to look up now.” You say with confidence.

_(“That's great news hon, we just wanted to tell you how proud of you we are.”)_ Your mother says.

“Wow guys, thanks I really appreciate it, I've actually got something _super cool_ to tell you about by the way, I-” You started to tell them about the competition at the end of the month, but you were interrupted by your mother when she spoke again.

_(“We're really glad that you've moved past those outlandish ideas about being famous, because of course, let's be honest hun, the odds of that happening for you are not likely.”)_

Your breathing started becoming shaky as you listened to them talk; silent tears of pure rage, devastation, and betrayal ran down your face. You heard a loud moment of static from your phone speaker that hurt your ears for a moment before your dad continued, _stupid shitty mountain signal._

_(“Could you imagine how much money we’d all lose trying to help you chase that silly idea? You’ll find your success there at college when you graduate, and you’ll be able to have a reliable source of income.”)_ Your dad adds.

Adelya could hear your dad as he spoke, and she was quick to run over to comfort you as you still tried to keep it together.

_(“I know college isn't where you wanted to be at first, but it really is great you came to your senses hun. We can't wait till you come back for Christmas (Y/N), Thanksgiving will be lonely without you but we know how important studying is and I'm sure *_____*, doesn’t have the gas money to drive you back anyway.”)_ Your mom says.

Now you were **_both_ ** mad, she did **_not_ ** just dead-name your best friend.

“ **Adelya** , mom. _Her name is_ ** _Adelya_** , it’s been that way for a long time now.” You said between shaky breaths. “ **Look,** _I have to go_ , we have... a study group to go to.” You say firmly.

_(“Oh, alright then sweetie, we’ll call back another time.”)_ Your mom says.

 _(“Keep up the good work, stay focused on the future, (Y/N) bye now.”)_ Your dad says.

You didn't even say goodbye before promptly hanging up the phone, and then you started to cry, **_a lot_**. 

Adelya hugged you and lightly rocked you back and forth as you sat on your bed and cried, she cursed out your parents while handing you tissues to dry your tears. It was an ugly cry, and you swore your heart broke into a billion pieces and when you calmed down enough to talk, you began venting frantically to Adelya.

“I'm stuck, this is it, it’s all _over_ ; I'm _trapped_ now. I should have known, _I should have known_ they were going to **do this**! What am I supposed to _do_? _Quit school and throw my parents into debt, snuffing out any chance that they may still be willing to help me?_ Do I stay here to get some degree I don't want, then take _years_ working in a job I don't want? _If_ I can even ** _find_** a job that I can use my degree in **first**? Spend years saving money in order to maybe be able to do all this by myself? Am I cursed to be stuck with a life I **_never wanted_** **_in the first place!?_** ” You barely paused to breathe as you went on, but Adelya was patient and let you vent while she soothed you. When you were done screaming and sobbing loudly, she quoted something that she knew could always remind you that there was hope.

“Hey Rockstar, ‘ _You don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid’_ remember? It’s on your back so you cant forget it.” she said softly, and you nodded, your breathing seemed to steady as she went on. “Things may seem impossible now, but you have the power to get through this, if anyone can make it; _its you Ember._ ” She says with a compassionate smile, “And don't you worry, we're gonna make up some excuse for us to spend Christmas alone together, just us. And I swear if they even try to get near you, ill kick them in their _stupid fucking faces._ ” She said “Even **_I_** don't have the patience for their crap anymore.” and that comment made you laugh, as you dried the last of your tears.

“Damn girl, should have done that sooner, heh.” you clean up your face, and get up to get a glass of water to calm yourself down further. After you finished drinking it you looked at your face in the mirror. “Ah _shit,_ I gotta re-do my makeup now, I've only got like, a half hour before I have to start walking over to meet Gaster.” You say irritated, good thing you were good at doing your makeup properly in a pinch.

Adelya put on a confidence-boosting playlist for you, you thanked her again for comforting you and listened to the music as you did your makeup. You needed to think some things over, you really didn't need to have anything else on your mind right now, _besides Gaster and this agreement_. He told you this morning to think about exactly what you wanted from him. Well, you _wanted_ things to go well, your shoulder stopped being sore just after you got to the café, and the rest of your body felt recovered shortly after you got back to your dorm. To be honest it was _strange,_ you should have been aching for _at least a few days_ from your night with Gaster, but halfway through the day you felt more than ready to dance the _devil's tango_ again. Hence the underwear, and provocative leggings; you weren't usually this sex driven, but you really couldn't help yourself when you were around Gaster.

So what did you want from him? You knew you wanted a _physical_ relationship, but you also knew when or even _if_ you graduated from here, you couldn't just walk away. If your betrayal lines were _still there_ in four years, and you still had _no idea_ if you were in danger or not; well you just couldn't _leave_ here. So first, you needed to tell him that you wanted to work towards getting rid of them. Even you knew, betrayal lines on any soul, bright or dim; were never a good thing. You're definitely worried about what could happen if you left, and something else bad happened to your soul, because you _wouldn’t know what to do._ You didn’t even want to _imagine_ the possibility that you could end up disappearing into the void. You weren't just going to leave the _only person_ who had the most experience in souls, and the highest probability of helping you, along with him being _the only one who knows your situation._

Then there was another thing you needed, _proof._ Gaster said that before he could show you your soul as proof he would ‘need your full trust and consent’ to do so. Well you do trust him, and you're going to give him consent for _that_ too tonight. Regardless, you couldn't let this all stop you from leaving here eventually to work towards chasing your _real dream_. So maybe you should ask if you could keep in contact with him over email or the phone or something. That way, if you had any questions or concerns or whatever, you could ask him. You were going to ask him all these questions tonight as if you would be staying here at the college, you still didn't know what you were _actually_ going to end up doing, but you didn't want to get him involved in your mess unless you absolutely had to.

After you finished your makeup perfectly, so that no one could tell that you were just sobbing a half hour ago, you quickly and confidently sent your audio track to Alphys in an email. You fix your hair, slip on a pair of flats, and say goodbye to Adelya, who wished you plenty of luck. You also told her there was a _good chance_ you wouldn't be back tonight, and she smiled and gave you a thumbs up; you needed some stress relief after the phone call you just had.

On your walk over you repeated your list of things you needed to say to Gaster, beyond the initial agreement, in your head. You wanted to work towards getting rid of your betrayal lines, you don't want to disappear. If he couldn't get rid of them by the time you graduate, you want to keep in contact with him. You can't let this all stop you from however you decided to follow your dream. Most importantly you wanted to see your soul for proof of your condition. You repeatedly listed these key points over and over in your head during your walk to Knox.

* * *

At around 7:15pm Gaster saw his phone light up, it was his emulation of your phone, and the caller ID told him you were getting a call from your father. Of course he had no need to _listen in_ on your call, so he ignored it. He ignored it, _that is,_ until Gaster felt an overwhelmingly powerful sense of anger and dread rush through him. It was coming from the void, it was coming from _you,_ Gaster made the presumption that _whatever was being said to you_ on the phone was most likely the cause of your negative emotion. His worry and curiosity got the better of him, so he tapped his phone to connect the dimensional box between your devices and he listened in on what it was that could possibly be causing you so much turmoil. Gaster wanted to teleport to you immediately to observe the state of your soul, and possibly calm you down. But you would ask how he knew something had happened, and he _couldn't risk revealing all his abilities just yet._ He needed to limit any additional factors and variables that involved interference, so for now he had to trust Adelya would calm you down instead. Gaster learned a few key points, during his short time listening in on your call, and was thankfully able to adapt his plans accordingly with the new information. Though, he would try his best to casually reveal to you his possible solution to your grief.

* * *

  
  


On your walk over, your phone had received a text from what appeared to be a bunch of symbols, and all it said was ‘413’, you assumed that was the room number of Gaster’s office since he hadn't mentioned it earlier. When you arrived at the Knox building, you were surprised to find the door was open, these doors were usually programmed to lock automatically behind anyone who leaves starting at around 8pm-ish. When you entered the building, you were less surprised to see the door lock engage behind you, you could have just been lucky; but it was more likely that Gaster had something to do with it. All the lights were out in the building, so you probably won't be noticed by anyone else anyway, and the doors locking behind you meant that no one else would be able to get in, _thankfully_. It was a bit hard to find his office in the dark, and at one point you ran into a chair, but you didn’t want to use your phone's flashlight and accidentally draw unwanted attention. Then, you saw a door just down the hall you were in that was the only one with light peeking out from underneath it. As you made it to Gasters office, before you could touch the handle, the door had opened.

“Oh,” you click your tongue, as you walk into Gasters office you find him casually leaning against the right side of his desk, he was looking through a stapled collection of papers. “Hey,” you start, Gaster moves to correct his stance, and greets you.

“Yes, hello dear, this is yours, by the way.” He says with a small nod and extends his arm to offer you the packet he had been holding. When you accepted the few stapled-together pages, Gaster turned back to his desk and began to gather his things.

“I appreciate you letting me in the building, and at least leaving your office light on. But I totally almost tripped and fell in the dark on my way over here.” You said with a giggle, then you finally took a moment to look down at what Gaster had handed you. It was the printed out essay you wrote, the one you saw him looking at this morning. The only marking on the paper was a neatly written **_100%_ ** at the top.

“Hey...wait a minute, _really?”_ you raise an eyebrow at Gaster who smirked as he finished Gathering his things, he walked towards you as you asked your question more directly. “You _know_ I _have_ heard that you _rarely ever_ give out perfect marks, _if at all_ , right?” You squint “This isn't a _biased_ score is it, Gaster?” You say with full suspicion. Gaster moved his right hand up to hover in front of his mouth, attempting to hide his amusement as he lightly chuckled and shook his head.

“ _Is that what you heard?_ Well, _regardless_ if that is true or not dear, I do remember that you previously mentioned you do not wish for me to forge your success.” He says and brings his hand down to lightly touch the left side of your face, he moves his thumb across your soft skin to carefully brush your cheek. He could totally tell you’d been crying earlier, _of course_ he could tell your eyes were still puffy, and no amount of makeup would cover that up, unfortunately. “And I _believe_ I told you before, you don't need my assistance with that anyway, _my flame_.” He says softly, your heart jumps when he uses that endearing nickname he had given you, and you can feel a small calming wave wash over you, he knew you were nervous about tonight.

“ _Oh,_ then... thank you.” You said to Gaster, thanking him for both his belief your paper deserved a perfect score, and for the small dose of his familiar peaceful magic he had given you.

“Of course, you will receive everything you rightfully deserve, as long I have a say in things, that is.” Gaster says and you nod in acceptance as he moves his left hand that held his briefcase up behind you, and to the small of your back to press you against him. “Ready to go then, dear?” He asks.

“Ready.” you say with a nod, and your surroundings slowly fade to black.

* * *

  
  


When your mind focuses on your [ new environment ](https://imgur.com/a/R78GQeT) you slowly look around, you blink and take in your surroundings again. You seemed to be in a living room of sorts, with a bar to the far left of you. You take a step back, and Gaster allows you too.

“You know,” you start, “I never asked where this house _even is_.” you let out a huff as you looked around in awe. “This place is like, _way_ too nice to be anywhere near here, I mean like, not unless where at the end of maple street, but there's _too_ many windows and not enough light in here for that.” You say quietly laughing at the unlikely hood of that. See, the only house you knew of that could possibly be _this_ spacious near MEU, was the [ large mansion ](https://imgur.com/a/sN7haGM) at the very end of maple street, just outside of the college town that was built on a ridge in the mountain.

“Precisely Ember, but if you're familiar with the house, then you should _also_ know that you can't _see_ through the windows of the house.” He responds casually, and you freeze in shock as he goes on. “I've had all the glass panels replaced with completely black, opaque ones.” Gaster adds, as if that was a totally normal thing to say.

“ _What?_ You’ve got to be joking.” you say with a completely baffled look on your face. Gaster seems to be confused at why you're questioning what he just said. “ _Oh my god_ , you're actually _serious_ , aren’t you? I just thought it was like a one way tinted glass or something! _How even_ -?” you were going to ask how someone with a professor’s salary could afford the house at the end of maple, but that would be rude. So you just accepted it, it made sense to you that Gaster owns this house. Yep, because _of course_ he does, he's gotta live up to his title of ‘ _the enigma’_ professor after all, you just shake your head and laugh.

“Alright, sure. I'm not even going to question it right now, that's totally _not_ what we're supposed to discuss here anyway.” You give him an amused smile and patiently await his direction

“Correct,” he agrees, a subtle smirk showing on his face, enjoying your stunned response as he nods. Gaster moves to put his briefcase down on the coffee table to the left of him, then he takes off his coat with skillful, fluid motions. You have no idea why, but you found it incredibly suave and attractive as you watched him. Before your thoughts could distract you, Gaster helps get the conversation back on track, but not without teasing you first. 

“You can sit down now, _my pet_.” He says in an impressive combination of force and elegance, you can feel your whole face flush in sheepishness. _Of course_ he picked up on the fact that just _taking off his coat_ was enough to make your heart flutter; _and_ he apparently figured out that you really liked being called ‘ _his pet_ ’ from last night too, and kept that in mind. 

Rather than having to squeak out a response, you avoided eye contact and simply gave him a short nod and walked over to take a seat down on the couch. You absentmindedly fiddle with your phone, but you remind yourself that you couldn't get distracted right now; you had to focus. So you set your phone down, on the couch cushion to the left of you, and concentrated on calming your frazzled state. 

You can hear Gaster faintly chuckle as he neatly hangs his coat on a hanger, and puts it away in the closet behind you. He must have finally noticed your sweater at that point, or at least he finally chose to react to it, because as he finished hanging up his coat he made a sly comment about it.

“You know _Ember,_ ” Gaster remarks as he smoothly rounded the edge of the couch, “your attire today makes me wonder if you're _trying to tell me_ _something._ ” He suggests, and the moment he makes eye contact with you, you become trapped by his alluring aura once more. 

“ _Does it now?_ Nice of you to finally notice, _doctor._ ” You tease, feeling brave even while remembering his lesson this morning, while doing your best at attempting an innocent behavior.

Gaster had sat down somewhat close to you, diagonally across from the spot where you were seated on the couch. He took a moment to appraise your figure with a deliberately slow glance, a mischievous smirk on his face. The whole moment akin to being a defenseless lamb, trapped in the ravenousness gaze, of a lion. 

“ _As it were dear_ , I find your determination-” you could see the menacing flicker in Gasters eyes, that conveyed his lustful intent as he went on, _“-_ for _instigating your desires,_ _quite intriguing._ ” he professes. You could feel your breath hitch, at his statement as you thought about how it would take _even someone like you_ a lot of confidence to make the first move with Gaster. Your thought had not been kept to yourself, and it evoked a deep, soft chuckle from Gaster as he continued, “but _as you said Ember_ , that's not the conversation we're supposed to be having here.” He admits, but a sinful tone was still evident as he spoke, your face was already incredibly flushed, but you reminded yourself to continue focusing on what you needed to ask him tonight.

“ _So then,_ about the details of our agreement,” Gaster starts, and your mind thankfully snaps out of it enough to properly pay attention as he spoke. “I think it's safe to say we both agree with the _basic terms_ of it.” You quietly nod to confirm, you were still _a bit_ too flustered to talk just yet. However, you most definitely agreed with Gaster’s first statement, you also wanted to continue the ‘physical’ part of the agreement. He took your nod as a sign to continue speaking.

“I _do_ plan on explaining my terms in detail tonight. _However,_ I will refrain from explaining the more tedious details until they become relevant. For now, I believe you should ask any questions you have, _first._ It's only fair, seeing as you have been so _patient with me,_ after all.” Gaster says, as he offers you the proverbial floor of the conversation. Thankfully, all the patience you’ve had to instill in yourself these last few days, made you even more determined, confident, and prepared to say what you needed to.

“Oh, alright then. I definitely have things to ask you, and a few other things to say in general.” He gave a calm nod in response as he waited for you to start. You decide to start from the beginning of your list, that you had repeated to yourself on the way to Gasters office.

“Okay so, you asked me to think about what I want from this, and there are a few things I decided on. As you said, besides the- um... _main understanding,_ I would want you to help me find a way to get rid of my betrayal lines.” You released a stressful breath, you looked at Gaster before continuing, and he seemed to be respectfully listening to you, intently. 

“Right- so um, If we can’t find a way to get rid of them by the time I graduate, I’d really want to keep in contact with you over email or phone or something. Because, I mean, I have dreams and I can't just stay here. _However, that said..._ from what I've gathered about betrayal lines, I'm also still severely worried about my soul.” You looked down a little nervous and you admit your next statement.

“I feel it would be, _super stupid_ of me to stop contact with probably, the _only_ _expert_ on betrayal lines; who could help me if something went wrong.” You admit, Gaster seemed pleased you trusted him, but you knew the _last_ condition you had in order to accept this all, was going to be embarrassing to ask.

“I guess the most important thing is... I would need to _see_ my soul for proof of it’s... _condition_. I figured it wouldn't be a problem _sense we've already...”_ your sentence trailed off, and you had trouble keeping eye contact with Gaster as you spoke. You knew it was a big deal for a monster to call out and confront someone's soul. 

Gaster must have sensed your anxiety, because he lightly put his hand on your knee and you could feel a micro dose of his magic blanketing you in a sense of calm again as he spoke.

“It wouldn't be a problem for me to show you your soul, dear. The only reason I haven't done so yet, _was to make certain you would be comfortable_ with doing so.” He insists, and you're able to meet his gaze again as he continues to assure you.

“One of my main intentions with you in this agreement is to find a _cure_ for betrayal lines, so I assure you Ember, that condition will be met.” You give him a grateful smile and a nod as he continues. 

“As for keeping in contact with me, you will not need to worry about leaving my presence, dear.” You were confused by what he meant, but you let him continue. 

“That is, because you won't actually _need to leave_ here, to follow your life’s goal.” He says addressing all your questions, and creating a million more in their place.

“I...I’m... _sorry what?”_ You're curious, but mainly confused, maybe he still thinks your dream is to graduate from here or something? It didn't make sense to you, he must have read your thoughts at some point to understand what your _real_ life goal was, right? He had an amused expression on his face, and you just knew something was up... what weren't you getting here? Gaster just continued to stay quiet as you further questioned him.

“I mean, sorry...I'm not, I’m just not understanding what you mean by that?” It didn't make sense for someone like Gaster to make a statement like that without understanding things completely first. 

“Well ‘cause, you _do know_ my _real dream_ is to be a signed singer, and produce my own music, right? So, I don't mean to be rude here, but _how exactly_ am I supposed to do that _without_ leaving this small college town that's _in the middle of nowhere?_ ” You were rather concerned here at this point, Gaster wasn't going to try and make you quit your plan to chase your dream, was he? After your small rant, and before you could spiral into panic, Gaster finally spoke.

“Ember, _correct me If I'm wrong_ , but from my understanding, the hopes and dreams that _flow from your mind_ _and soul_ , are not to _leave here_. Your _core_ dream to make music that becomes popular, and in turn, you become a well known artist. Am I correct in this observation?” Gaster asks, and you still don't know where he's going with this, but you bite your tongue and nod, deciding to just go along with it anyway for now.

“That said, I do not believe it will take me more then four years to find a cure. What I require from you, is complete cooperation, dear.” He says, and you're still confused on how any of this allows your dream to happen while also giving him what he needs. 

“I would need you to be willing to adhere to my necessary attempts to understand, and completely remove the betrayal lines in your soul.” Gaster says as he leans in closer to you, and you couldn't seem to hold on to your growing irritation as he continues, the smirk on his face completely unaffected by your questioning, flustered glance.

“ _However,_ it would be _unfair_ of me to demand such things without _equal_ compensation, _my dear.”_ he moves his hand beside you on the couch, where your phone was placed. You raised an eyebrow at him, and followed the movements of his hand to see your phone light up as he taps it, but you looked back up to meet Gaster’s eyes again for more context. 

“In exchange for that, and much of your time under my surveillance, I can give you the means to _achieve_ that dream you desire.” He says, and things started to click, but you still weren't sure and you didn't want to assume things, but you also _really_ couldn't keep quiet any longer.

“W-Wait, so..compensati-?” you started, unable to break eye contact with Gaster right away as you felt for your phone next to you on the couch blindly. Once you had it in your hand you looked down to see that you got a notification from the banking app you had on your phone. You really didn't have any words to reply to Gaster, who looked pleased as ever at your speechless reaction to the bombshell he just dropped.

“Everyday that you cooperate with me and my requirements, that same amount will be deposited into your account.” He says silver-tongued.

As if it was _nothing_ to him, Gaster had just deposited ***** ** _1,000$*_** into your account, and apparently he would _continue to do so_ **_everyday_** that you were a part of this agreement with him. Since you couldn't speak, Gaster took the liberty of doing so himself, as he explained things to you further.

“This will continue until, you either _ask me to stop,_ or _break off_ the agreement.” He says elegantly, your brain was finally beginning to realize he was serious, and that all this was actually happening. You lightly drop your phone down in your lap to calm your breathing and focus on holding back tears.

Gaster gently moved closer to you as he reached out a hand to softly lift your chin and directed your attention towards him, you couldn't hide the silent waterworks that rained down from your eyes in response to your overwhelming influx of emotions. Gaster gave you a patient look, as he waited for you to speak.

“S-Sorry I don't know why I'm just...I’m actually _really_ happy...but I-” You begin, and Gaster saves you from having to explain any more as he simply continues to assure you that this was all a reality.

“ _It's alright, my flame_ , I can recognize your exact feelings just by looking at your soul as it sparks. I only wish to help you achieve your goals _Ember_ , and for you to _help achieve mine_.” Gaster says, but you still can't speak properly, all you can do is nod frantically. You wanted to give him back whatever he wanted, _whatever he needed_ from you; because It felt like he had just broken the chains that had been holding you down for your _entire existence_. 

Gaster moves his right hand to caress the left side of your face, lightly brushing your tears to the side with his thumb, the display of affection only causing a further rush of emotions inside you.

“Dear, I don't wish to rush you, but It would be... _ideal_ to show you your soul now if you wish me to; while you’re still feeling the effects of your adrenaline rush.” Gaster said, and he was right, the news of actually being able to do what you dreamed of for so long, triggered an adrenaline rush within you, it was exhilarating.

“Will you be alright if I called out your soul to show you now, then?” He asked, and you were _finally_ able to talk past your tears of overwhelmed emotion, to answer him.

_“Y-Yes, you can,_ ” you take in a deep breath, _“I'll b-be fine.”_ You say, still crying tears of joy and relief as you try to gather your breathing. In one careful fluid movement, Gaster moves to sit next to you as he puts his left hand over your sternum; his right hand moves to the back of your head. Your fascination of the possessive look he had in his eyes, just adds to the fervor of the moment. 

* * *

Gaster leans down to kiss you, and as his lips meet yours, your eyes flutter closed as you happily return his sensual kiss. You had yet to experience this kind of moment with him, it spread a genuine self-generated comfort through you. This moment felt warm, this kiss felt so right and much more, more intense, passionate, and more _romantic._ You could feel a sort of gravity feeling, that was being pulled from your chest, you had almost forgotten what was happening. 

You could tell that Gaster had to practically pull himself away from your lips, and you understood; you hadn't wanted that moment to end either. When he did though, you slowly re-opened your eyes, and before you even noticed your own soul, you saw Gaster attempting to better compose himself next to you. He had a closed fist held up against his mouth, and his other hand was gripping his wrist. You were about to ask if he was okay, until you had finally focused on your soul.

Immediately after you had first laid eyes on your soul, you started to worry more about if _you_ were okay. 

Your soul had looked like a tiny red and orange fireworks display, your colors spinned and sparkled wildly. The most important note to mention though, would be the deep black, gash-like wounds that snaked through your soul like multiple poison tree roots. 

You started to freak out, understandably, actually seeing a soul in this condition was... _morbid_ and it was supposed to be _your_ soul. You were entranced by the colors that looked like the brightest of flames, but more _horrified_ at what appeared to be eating away at the light of your soul. It was a terrifying sight, but your soul still stayed radiant regardless, and every now and then, your light would cause the black betrayal lines to retreat some. You knew you couldn't be afraid of your own soul, so you took a deep breath to finally speak to Gaster, but you still couldn't look away.

“Ok. Um, Gaster?” you ask for confirmation that he was still there, he must have easily recovered from before because he immediately responded.

“ _Yes,_ my flame?” Gaster responds in a voice that's just as entranced as you are. His nickname for you made a lot of sense now.

“I believe you, s-so could you put it back now? I _don't_ ... _think_ I can handle looking at it for much longer.” You ask him, your soul was like a car crash that you couldn't look away from, you needed him to pull you away.

_“As you wish dear,_ but please, focus on breathing as I do so.” Gaster says, and for a moment your mind clears itself of images of your soul, and focuses on breathing steady. You can feel Gaster's hand against your back to brace you, and your breathing gets harder to focus on. Your surroundings go dark for a moment, and you feel a force being pushed into your chest. 

Without the feeling you had before, when Gaster had been kissing you as he called out your soul, _returning_ your soul felt like a thousand pounds of pressure weighing on your chest. Right when you thought you would pass out from lack of oxygen your mind focused on breathing again, and your lungs seemed to be free of the hold they had been under. 

As you gasped for air, taking continuous deep breaths in and out, you could once again see your surroundings, and you could feel Gaster's hand at your back.

“You performed better than I initially thought you would, in confronting your own soul, Ember.” You heard Gaster say, and you look to your left as you're catching your breath, to find him still sitting with you, practically holding you up.

You raise a hand to your head as you continue to focus on breathing. Gaster carries on speaking gently as you do so.

“The soul reacts to things it desires, the surge of emotions that, _conveniently,_ the first condition of our agreement could provide easily, and as such, would be perfect examples to gain data for my research.” Gaster says, and his steady informative tone makes it easier for you to continue to calm yourself down.

“So...” You’re finally able to say, still slightly out of breath. “So...I’m glad that...” you began to finally regain your composure, “I’m so incredibly _‘convenient_ ’, for you.” You giggle breathaly, resting your hands in your lap again, you finally look towards Gaster, as he continues to elaborate for you.

“Your desire for me _also_ conveniently benefits the experiment,” he smirks at you. “The less values; the more direct the results. So, my _involvement with you alone dear_ , allows me to observe your soul as you feed your desires. In a focused environment, I can gain the information I will need to find the answers to curing betrayal lines.” 

“Okay, so that actually _is_ surprisingly convenient then.” you say in agreement, giving yourself a short nod of assurance; glad to at least understand his motivation a _bit_ better now. “Thanks for finally starting to explain things.” You say as you click your tongue and smirk at him, you realize you also have to thank him for helping you focus earlier, so your smirk transitions softly into a grateful smile.

“But also, thanks for reminding me to breathe back there. I mean, I know you were sending me reminders, so I didn't forget to do so, and it definitely helped.” You thought the whole ordeal was going to make you exhausted at first actually, but you're _strangely_ comforted instead. You figured it's probably because you realized that, this meant Gaster hadn't been lying to you about your soul, at least.

“ _As I said_ Ember, you reacted _much_ better than anyone usually would in this situation.” He gives a reassuring nod, before slowly removing the hand he had at your back for support.

“How do people _usually_ react to seeing their soul?” You ask him. Gaster huffs and stands up from the couch, lightly tapping your shoulder as he does. 

“Depends on the condition of the soul, dear. I could tell you over a drink, if you’d like.” He says with a smirk, holding out a hand to help you stand from the couch.

_“Oh,_ okay yeah, sure.” You say, taking his hand as you stand up from your seat on the couch. “I could definitely use a drink after that for sure.” You huff out a laugh, and Gaster nods with an equally amused expression.

“You and I _both,_ Ember.” He responds, and Gaster quickly brushes the top of your hand with his thumb before letting your hand go. He gestures briefly with a nod towards the bar at the far left side of the room, signaling he wanted you to follow behind him. You gladly do just that, passing the large dining table as you trailed behind Gaster, still entranced by how impressive everything was as you looked around. This was just _one room,_ in what you knew to be the biggest house in the area, at the end of maple street.

“Ya’ know I'm _really trying_ to ignore the whole ridiculousness of this huge house you live in, cause I know it's rude to ask...” You say, and Gaster raises his brow at you, still definitely entertained by your shock. “But _seriously_ though? Gaster, if you got this kind of … _’financial stability’,_ what the hell are you doing _teaching at a college_?” You tried your best to make it clear you didn't mean to ask about money, just about why he was at where he was. Before he could reply to you, you quickly added one last comment.

“And don't give me that _‘I love teaching’_ spiel because, no one loves teaching _that much_ to continue to do so when they're at this... _level._ ” You say, gesturing vaguely to your surroundings; and for the first time, you could swear Gaster was trying to hold back a genuine smile.

“My reason for teaching at this college-,” Gaster says as he rounds the edge of the bar, and you take a seat on a swiveling barstool on the other side. “-is directly related to it simply being the best place to observe a large amount of souls.” He says, obviously hiding the real reason.

“ _No way,_ ” you click your tongue “that cant be it, that's _total bull,_ there has to be better ways to do that then at a stupid college.” you say in disbelief. 

Resting his hands on the bartop, Gaster leans over it to hover over you slightly, his stance an obvious dominant display. 

“You don't need to concern yourself with my reasoning, _dear._ ” Gaster says, but you’re not scared. So with a smirk, you fold your arms, and set them on the bar as you lean in to challenge his intimidation tactic of hovering over you, with a suspicious look and a playfully flirtatious glimmer in your eyes.

“ _Why_ , you hidin’ something, _doctor_?” you say with a sultry tone, and you can hear the beginnings of a low growl coming from Gaster; who instead of answering you, briefly runs his tongue along the tip of his left fang. You can't help but bite your lower lip at his display, you really hate how bad you are at staring contests. They fluster you normally, and with _Gaster_ being your opponent, you were doomed from the start. You break eye contact with Gaster in your flustered state, _*damnit*_ you mumble to yourself. 

_“Alright fine,_ don't tell me,” you huff with a smile. “‘Probably just gonna end up figuring it out on my own anyway.” you say confidently and you retreat from your leaning on the bar uncrossing your arms and straightening your posture. 

After your admitted defeat, Gaster backs up, pushing himself back from the ledge of the bartop smoothly and he chuckles, satisfied with his victory.

_“I have no doubt you will,_ dear.” Gaster says, with a devious smirk on his face.

_“Now then Ember_ , red or white wine?” He asks, and you smile because _of course_ he is offering you wine.

“ _Red_ , please.” You say, in lighthearted-defeat and Gaster nods as he reaches to grab a bottle from behind the bar. You’re no wine expert, but you're also super sure that the bottle he was pouring you a glass from was _at least_ half a grand. As he hands you your glass, you graciously accept it. 

“Thanks,” you say as you watch him move to pour himself a glass of bourbon “and _of course_ you're drinking bourbon instead of wine.” you click your tongue and huff out a giggle in amusement.

“It would not be _wise_ to serve you something as strong as this, Ember. We don't want your decisions impaired or affected by intoxication, after all.” Gaster says, and you agree with him, you didn't want to drink bourbon anyway.

“Uh yeah-no you're definitely right, just the _thought_ of drinking anything amber colored again makes me cringe anyway.” You say, and Gaster looks intrigued.

“And why is that, my dear?” He questions.

_“Well,_ I guess it's because of many summer nights of way, _way too much_ whiskey and rum.” You’ve only been black out drunk a few times, those being the culprit. “So Consequently whisky, Scotch, rye and rum I’ve sworn off.” You admit, Gaster rolled his eyes at your over exhaustion of his apparent drink of choice. You just rolled your eyes back at him in playful sarcasm.

“Look, don't judge me okay, it’s not that I don’t enjoy the taste, I like the taste of bourbon the most, actually.” You say, before tacking on a final thought. 

“It just doesn't sit well with my tolerance anymore. I’ve only drunk _quantity_ over quality of that stuff anyway, probably never even actually had anything _good_ tasting.” You say as he raises an eyebrow at your confession. “I mean, not to mention bourbon is way pricier than vodka, so it's out of my price range anyway.” You say, giving Gaster a small nod, before enjoying a sip of your wine. For a moment you paused to look at your glass, and you were kind-of in awe, it's really flavor intense and smooth and all you could think about is how this was probably the best tasting wine, or even alcohol that you’ve ever tasted in your life.

“Okay _so..._ “ you giggle when you think about how silly you must look right now, thoroughly baffled over wine. “You must be, like a wine _expert..._ or you could have read my mind,” You profess, and Gaster looks rather pleased with himself, leaning his weight against the bar, with his hand braced on the ledge. His demeanor is a casual, while he drinks from his glass of bourbon, he admires your absolutely floored reaction. You take another mini sip before you think of the last possible reason. 

_“Or,_ maybe you can read someone's soul to see what kind of wine they like, and you just so happened to have the perfect kind for me here, or something.” You say, with a thoroughly entertained smile across your face, as you bring the glass to your lips to enjoy another small sip; you really just wanted to savor how amazing this wine tasted.

“I suppose it’s, _‘or something’_ then, Ember. “He says, with his ever-suave tone; expertly avoiding answering yet another one of your questions. Gaster takes another sip of his bourbon, with a sly smirk on his face, and his sharp gaze trained on you.

“Wow, you’re _such_ an open book, Gaster.” You say jokingly sarcastic. “You said you would answer my earlier question though; so...how does someone _usually_ react to seeing their soul? You said it depends on the condition of the soul?” You question, a genuinely interested tone in your voice. You take another sip of your wine, patiently awaiting his response.

“Correct,” Gaster says casually sipping his bourbon, “disregarding the possible violent confrontations of course, normally calling out a soul is done between intimate _and_ romantic persons. That said, the extreme trust, and in virtually every case, prior soul bond; allows the process to be painless.” Gaster informs you further, then takes another sip of his bourbon before he continues again, “It slightly helps that we are physically intimate, but without all three conditions it is difficult; for the one getting their soul called out, that is.” He pauses for a moment, running his index finger against the side of his glass as he contemplates his next sentence, and you continue to sit quietly and listen intently as you drink your wine. 

_“However_ , someone with betrayal lines, should _always_ experience a significant amount of pain during confrontations, along with shock and possible trauma at the sight of their soul no matter the conditions.” Gaster takes a single breath in, pausing briefly before explaining more, “Or so, that's what I had _believed_ ; I figured you would be able to cognitively accept things after I calmed you. But as I said dear, you performed much better than I guessed. You seemed to be experiencing minimal pain, and you stayed undisturbed for the short time you viewed your soul.” Gaster says as he finishes the last of the bourbon in his glass, and moves to pour himself another. 

“So, Ember. Would you please enlighten me on your experience then?” He asks, and you wonder why he is asking if he could easily invade your mind to find out; before you could ask him or answer he adds “Ember, I’ve not entered your mind since the confrontation but _you_ _have_ projecting your thoughts _to me_. That being said, I can only guess and interpret your thoughts and images dear, I need you to further explain and confirm.” Gaster says as he waits patiently.

“Oh, sorry…” you pause, “but um, before I tell you how that all affected me, just answer me one more question okay? How _often_ do you listen in...when I'm _not_ yelling my thoughts at you?” You didn't think he would lie to you after all this, but you wanted to know how much privacy you had.

“Practically never. I don’t really need to, your soul alone tells me your emotional state. When you think about something related to me, you project your thoughts. Even then, I’m still able to deflect them easily, _although_ I must admit; I haven't been doing so tonight.” Gaster tells you and you raise an eyebrow at him.

“What's your reasoning for that?” You ask simply, taking the last sip of your wine.

“I only wanted to make sure all your questions get answered, Ember, and thankfully it allowed me to do just that.” He says moving to pour you a second glass of wine, and that sounded like a sensible decision to you now, considering.

“Okay, I see your point there.” You admit, Gaster nods and fills half your wine glass, he holds it out to you, and you carefully take it back from him as you begin your explanation.

“Alright so, you said it was supposed to be significantly painful, and you noticed it didn’t affect me as much, right?” You take a short pause thinking of how you should go about explaining the things you experienced during the confrontation. “Well your right sort-of, it wasn't painful at all at first...when you pulled out my soul, I mean. It kinda just felt like a strong magnet being pulled back from my chest, and I was plenty willing at that point.” You say, your eye contact faltering; you decided not to ask Gaster about why he was seemingly upset right after he pulled your soul out, and instead you take another drink from your glass before actually having to describe the worst part.

“After I had actually looked at my soul, things just kinda became _very strange_.” You set your glass down on the bar, your hands resting on the edge of the bar as you continued. “I saw all the wonderful things first, the red and orange mixture; it reminded me of bubbling pools of... luminescent paint, that was under a black light.” You pick up your glass just a bit off the bar for a moment; before your desire to seem composed in front of Gaster, won you over. You set your glass back down, and folded your hands together, resting them back on the bar and took a deep breath.

“Then I focused on the betrayal lines.” You almost shiver in discomfort remembering them, looking down at your hands, but you're able to steady yourself. “They made me feel like I was looking at a super gory crime scene? The bright light seemed to be fighting back the whole time, and I was only able to handle it for a bit.” You admit and you look back up to Gaster he stayed quiet as he listened, and his patient expression comforted you again enough to continue. “When I realized I couldn't bring myself to look away, I asked you to put it back, and _that hurt like hell_.” You say bringing one hand up to your head just remembering it. “Reminded me of a panic attack but multiplied by a billion, and if you hadn't reminded me to breathe I would have totally passed out.” You huff out a small laugh, the dark and twisted situation was so obscene you couldn't help but find it ridiculous.

“Thank you for telling me, Ember. I was simply too preoccupied in memorizing the state of your soul; _so that I may compare any changes later,_ to fully analyze your experience in the moment.” Gaster says as he finishes his second glass of bourbon, “I can promise you won’t disappear under my careful observation, dear.” You nod, comforted by his assurance; he must have heard you mentally dwell on that concern earlier. 

“For the time being, there is a chance I _may_ be able to _train_ you in controlling your betrayal lines to an extent, to _‘keep them at bay’,_ so to speak, while we work towards the cure.” He informs you as he pours himself a third glass of bourbon, and you figured his tolerance must be high; briefly also wondering how much it would actually take for Gaster to get drunk.

“Okay then, that sounds like a good idea to me. I mean, you said you needed my full cooperation for this, right?” You question, and he gives you a single nod and you continue.

“I could definitely do that, then... I’m just really glad I can be of use to you,” you say confidently. 

“I don't know if I'll actually ever be able to help you with _your research_ as much as _you_ helped me with _my dream,_ but I can try at least.” You say smiling, picking up your wine glass again to take another drink.

Gaster gave you a vague nod and you caught a faint glint of salacious intent in his eyes, almost to tell you _that wasn't his only incentive_ for helping you; as he continued to drink his bourbon. It was either the wine, or Gaster and his incredibly irresistible bedroom eyes, that made you feel flushed and hot; _or both._

“Ya know,” you give him a playful smile, “I also don't know if I’m fancy enough to be drinking _actual wine_ like this.” You giggle, enjoying another sip from your glass regardless, Gaster sets his glass down to ask you to clarify. 

_“Actual?_ As opposed to _what_ then, dear?” He asks intrigued.

“Well I mean... _most_ if not _all_ of the wine I’ve had came from a bottle with a twist top, or like a bag in a box with a spout.” You giggle and shake your head a bit ashamed, but mostly amused.

_“Ember._ ” Gaster outwardly sighs, picking up his glass of bourbon again, and he takes a deep breath before continuing, “That is _quite possibly_ , the _most appalling_ thing, I have _ever_ _heard_ you say.” He states as he takes a sip from his glass. You can't help but crack-up with a genuine decent laugh at his response.

“ _Haha- oh my god_ , who knew you could be _so_ ~ _dramatic?”_ You laugh at his overly serious response.

“It’s _tragic,_ dear. You can’t convince me otherwise, so do not attempt justification of something so _horrendous.”_ Gaster says, noticeably cringing. 

“You're _so_ ridiculous, I didn't know admitting _I drink boxed wine_ would offend your ancestors.” You tease, smirking at him and still trying to calm your laughter. You keep eye contact with Gaster as you take the last sip of your wine, carefully setting your glass down and sliding it further down the bar away from you. You cross your arms and place them on the bartop again, before leaning forward with your chest resting on the counter as well; so that you're even closer to him. Then, a small voice at the back of your mind tells you to try [ _something dangerous_ . ](https://youtu.be/VcWYpgLw2mM)

_“Gaster,_ you act as if I've just admitted to _a serious crime._ ” you start, still smirking in amusement; a sparkle of mischievous intent in your eyes. Gaster just continues to drink his bourbon, his sharp suspicious glare adept at observing your every movement. He was right to be suspicious, because in a _completely on-purpose,_ and _genuine seductive tone,_ you ask Gaster a rhetorical question of sorts.

_“If you're that certain I’m guilty, then why don't you_ **_punish_ ** _me for it, doctor~?”_ You tease, as you bite your lip and look at him through flirtatious half lidded eyes.

You didn't know someone _could_ down a glass of bourbon that quick, but in seconds, Gaster had _done just that._ He had set his glass down on the bar; then suddenly, he wasn't in front of you anymore.

Before you could blink, you had been turned around quickly in your seat, and Gaster had your back against the bar. With his hands pinned to either side of you on the surface, he successfully trapped you in place as he growled out his rebuttal to your dangerous tease of a question.

_“Ember,_ are you _absolutely sure_ you want to _play this game_ with me tonight, _dear?”_ He says with predatory hunger in his eyes. You weren't scared of him though, and after getting over the initial shock of his position change; you decided to be brave with him once more and you giggle with enticing seduction.

_“Very sure,_ I’m _game_ if you are, _doctor._ ” You say, and during the split second your answer caught Gaster off guard, you moved to put your hands up against his chest; leaning in to kiss him as you stood up from your seat at the bar.

Gaster just growled impatiently as he greedily kissed you back, and as your hands gripped onto his sweater, you could feel the rumble of his growl in his chest. His hands moved to grip onto your upper arms and you followed his lead as he pulled you towards him guiding you a few steps back. 

* * *

  
  


You could feel the slightly disorienting feeling of being teleported, and when you felt solid ground under your feet again, you pulled back slightly to break your kiss with him momentarily. As you do you realize you're in the bedroom again, and Gaster looks at you with excited hunger in his eyes; and you found it impressive he controlled himself long enough for you to request something from him. 

“I want... to do something... for you, _will you let me?”_ You ask him softly panting, and you kiss him again, a heated lust melted through your question as you focus on silently conveying mental visions to him. You told him your desired intentions and what you wanted to do for him, through your thoughts as you kissed him.

Gaster gives a low growl, as he feverishly kisses you, and you can hear his response echo through your mind. 

_(“If you so desire, dear.”)_

You give a small excited moan as you deepen your kiss with him, grazing your tongue against his, the rich flavors of bourbon and wine meld together as the sparks for your fire of lust start forming. Along with your request, you had also silently asked him not to use his magic, you loved the feeling but you wanted to have more control of your body tonight.

You pressed your body against him, encouraging him to move backwards towards the bed; you could feel his smirk of amusement against your kiss as he followed your lead and it gave you more motivation. The two of you only break your heated kisses a few times, as you both stumble slightly to haphazardly kick off your shoes, and when you both take off your respective sweaters. Your tongues still grazing each other, you moan into your kiss trying to convey to him that you wanted to thank him for freeing you of your chains. You wanted him to show him how grateful you were for him giving you a real chance at your dream.

_(“Show me then, my flame.”)_

You hear echo in your mind, and your heart jumps at his encouragement again. When the two of you reach the mattress, you take off your tight leggings rather skillfully, Gaster leans down slightly to continue to kiss you as you do. In the few moments you took to strip yourself of your leggings, Gaster simultaneously, and expertly; loosened the belt of his slacks to step out of them too. When your black-lace lingerie was the only thing left on your body, you gave him a light nudge signaling you wanted him to sit down on the bed, you knew the _only reason_ he followed your lead and did so; was because he was enjoying this and was intrigued enough to let you lead things, for now. 

As Gaster was sitting on the bed, he studied your movements closely with an ignited hunger in his eyes. You slowly moved in front of him, then steadily got down on the floor, kneeling in front of him. He brings his right hand down to tilt your chin up as you do, you look up at him with an timid lustfulness in your eyes. You gradually move your hands up to rest on his thighs, then, biting your lip, you summon all your courage to profess to him what you had wanted to.

_“I’m willing to do anything you need,”_ you say, your voice airily soft, and Gaster moves his hand to the side of your face, he stays silent as he watches you but looked pleased by your eager ambition, as you cautiously move your hands closer to his already stiff length _“I want to submit to you..in every way I can.”_ You say, as you move to lightly brush your fingers against Gaster’s sizable erection. You keep your eyes on his, so you could watch his reaction, as you gently hold his cock in your hand. Successfully keeping his attention you loll out your tongue and glide it steadily over the head of his cock, that rewards you with a glossy string of pre-cum from the tip. You could hear a deep satisfied purr from Gaster as he watched you continue.

_(“I want to be your devoted assistant, doctor.”)_

You say softly to him in your mind, before you again slowly swirl your tongue around the head of his cock, his dark black pre-cum coating your lips. You’re entranced by Gaster and the longfull craving expression on his face as he examined you, seemingly attempting to burn this image into his memory so he never forgets it. 

_“Then_ **_satisfy_ ** _me temptress,_ **_persuade me_ ** _to_ **_accept_ ** _your devotion_ ** _._ ** _”_ Gaster replies with a deeply intense growl, and you respond back with a submissive whimper. He shifts his left arm back on the mattress, keeping himself braced, so he can lean back slightly. This way he has a better view of you following his command, allowing himself to drown in lust with you.

He keeps his eyes trained on yours, your lips glossed with his pitch-black essence, you take the head of his dick into your mouth; making sure to be careful of your teeth. You start to work your mouth down on his length, as you suck and dip your lips further down along his shaft, you could hear Gaster draw-in a deep breath. His right hand moves to tangle itself in your hair, you could hear him echo in your mind as he reveled in the erotic scene of you working to satisfy him.

  
  


_(“I enjoy the sight of you kneeling before me like this, my flame.”)_ Gaster echoes to you, and the comment just burns the fire of lust inside you hotter. You moan in response to Gaster’s praise, the slight vibration sending an extra sensation through his cock; and you find his deep growls, and indulgent moans in response to your motions, like an addictive song.

You used your hand in tandem with your mouth to stroke his shaft, craving more praise from Gaster. You kept a steady continual pace, as you sucked and bobbed your head to take in as much as his length as you could, a large amount of black pre-cum trailed down from your lips. You tried your best to take all of his cock in your mouth to deep throat him, but your subconscious reflex would make it hard for you. It was difficult to keep your steady tempo while doing so too, but you had an idea on how to fix that.

You had to pause to breathe and swallow a few times now, you knew that Gaster came a large amount when he _finished_ , but his amount of pre-cum _alone_ was filling your mouth. You backed off slightly, keeping your lips against the tip of his dick as you swallowed more pre-cum, once you cleared your mouth and were able to speak, you requested another favor. 

“I need... you to,” you say softly before bringing your hand to the one he had been gripping your hair with. _“...Harder.”_ You say, and Gaster doesn't hesitate for a second. He grips your hair more forcefully, your request too inciting to resist, and you gasp out a mewl of pleasure from his force, looking up at him doe-eyed. Gaster had a sadistic expression across his face, as he ran his tongue over one of his fangs, he convinced you even further of your desire to please him more. You tell Gaster one last thing.

“I...want you to... _use me_.” you say, and Gaster chuckled darkly, pulling your head back by your hair more forcing you to focus your eyes on his, you squeaked again as he spoke.

_“Ember, dear...I_ **_won't_ ** _refuse such a_ **_tempting_ ** _offer, so you may want to_ **_focus on breathing_ ** _again.”_ Gaster had suggested, in a frightfully vicious tone. You tried your best to nod your head in his grasp, your desperate attempt at agreeing to submit to his dominance. Gaster gave another, dark deeply-amused chuckle at your needy expression, as he looked into your eyes with his lustful-bloodthirsty fixation, that sent a shiver of fearful-excitement through you.

Gaster had kept his hold on your hair as he positioned your mouth back down to his cock, and you willingly opened your mouth to take him in again; with him in complete control you were able to take more of him in now. Gaster held his firm grip on your hair, moving your head to forcefully persuade your mouth up and down his sizable shaft. You did as he had ordered you, and you focused on breathing; when you could focus on just keeping your throat relaxed, your gag reflex stopped being a problem. Every now and then, Gaster would hold you in place with most of his cock shoved down your throat, but he always backed off right at the last possible moment, so you could breathe. 

You subdued to his commanding motions while you worked hard on focusing your breathing to please him, you’re rewarded with the deep, erotic moans of praise from Gaster. 

_“Mn, yes my submissive pet~”_ He moans, you didn't need his magic to be hypnotized by him, as he fucked your throat and panted in pleasure above you your mind slipped deeper into lust. 

_“So well behaved for me, ngh~”_ He moans again, praising you. Just being able to please Gaster like this, gave you a high from the rush of desire as it flowed through your veins; your combined moans intoxicated you alone.

_“You take my cock so well,~-ah, you’re a divine temptress.”_ Gaster moans to you, and there is something about him saying both lewd and endearing things as he comes undone that makes the pressure between your legs worse, and you were beginning to get impatient. You just wanted to release this lustful ache by riding him until you both came.

Gaster must have liked that thought you had, because he moves your head back and your mouth releases his dick with a lewd pop, as your pant beneath him before he speaks.

_“As you wish, dear.”_ He says, his own breathing heavy in lust. Then, following your idea, you could feel multiple summoned hands grip your arms and thighs and pull you up to him. Gaster’s true left hand rests at the small of your back, and his right still held on to your hair. His lips meet yours again and you moan as your tongues intertwine in a passionate kiss. Gaster brings you up on the bed; his summoned hands help move you backwards with him as he rests his back up against the headboard. 

You’re positioned so you’re straddling Gaster's lap and you can feel him vocalize a satisfactory purr, while you try to talk between heated kisses.

_“Mh~._..Gaster... I-I _want.._. _t-this_ _m-hn~_ ... _so please, take~me._ ” You beg, moaning out your needy, hot panting breaths as you again confirm that you want this agreement. Gaster moves his hands to your hips as he's kissing you, he hooks his fingers on the edges of your lacy underwear, then you hear a rip.

You give a shocked squeak, still kissing him, he had effortlessly ripped the lace to remove your underwear. Before you could protest, you could feel Gaster move his length, still plenty slick with your saliva and his pre-cum, and position himself at your entrance. You let out a mewl of excitement, putting your desperation into your kiss, thanking him for going along with your idea to ride him. Gaster breaks the kiss to nuzzle his face in the crook of your still bandaged shoulder, moving to purr a dominant question to you as he nips at your ear.

_“You wanted me to_ **_punish_ ** _you, right dear?”_ Gaster says with a deep sadistic chuckle, you moan at his tender-yet-terrifying tone; you were only able to briefly recall your previous teasing, before he had easily pushed the head of his considerable length into you. His thrusts smooth as he pushes into you, thanks to your already dripping entrance, you cry out a moan as he continues to speak.

_“You’ve_ _been_ _so good to me_ , _pet.”_ He purrs in your ear again as he buries his cock further into you, coaxing another lustful cry from you. _“So, I will_ ** _thoroughly_** _punish you as you desired.”_ Gaster grips your hips again, his thumbs massage the dips in your hips, in silent praise. Then he forcefully pulls your hips downwards so his dick is fully hilted inside you.

_“Ah~A-anh! Mhn~Gaste-r~!”_ You cry out, his cock filling your intense fire of satisfaction between your legs.

“ _Now,_ **_move for me._ ** _”_ He says with a dominant growl, his hands at your hips ready to encourage you to move up and down, and you begin to move slowly to raise your hips and ride his dick, obeying his command. 

This new position allows Gaster to somehow bury himself deeper in you than last time, and this time, you didn't have his magic to help you relax. You knew you had to focus on your breathing first, so you rested your forehead on Gaster’s shoulder; you concentrated on moving your hips at the same tempo of your focused breaths. You were still moving slow, but without being clouded by his magic, once you were moving in a steady rhythm, you got to hear more of Gaster’s lustful encouragement.

_“Ahn-gn- Ember~,_ ” He growled your name in a deep moan of approval, his lustful sighs of pleasure had you responding with an appreciative mewl, and you began to move at a steadier pace for him. Gaster moves his hand down, using his thumb to circle your clit as you try your best to keep up your tempo.

Now that you could move easier, you lifted your head to meet Gasters gaze again, and he was equally entranced by your flushed face as you were of the hungry possession in his eyes. Your lips met his again, and Gaster’s self control had to be slipping; because his left hand at your hip gripped harder. He slips his tongue across your bottom lip, and you meet his tongue again in a deep kiss. 

You’re able to increase your pace again slightly, but that must have succeeded in pushing Gaster’s self control over the edge. He gave a frustrated growl as he kissed you, then he moved both hands back to your hips to forcefully pulled them down on his cock again roughly, and you cried out to him once again, in both pain and pleasure. 

_“A-- a-hh! ah~ha~ G-Gaster! Ngh~..p-please, t-to fast-ah~!”_ You moaned, Gaster moved you up and down his cock and thrusted into you at a _much rougher_ pace then you had set.

_“If you wish to be my devoted assistant,_ ” he says with a fierce tonality, _“then address me properly, and_ **_take your punishment,_ ** _Ember.”_ Gaster commands, and you squeak in response, you bury your face into Gaster’s shoulder again, and bite down. His deep guttural moan of pleasure in response, helped you as you quickly tried to relax into his tempo as best you could.

_“Tell me your_ **_mine.”_** Gaster lifts you almost fully off his cock before roughly pulling you down on him entirely again, and you can't help but obey his command. 

“ _Y-Yes-! I-~ah I’m yours! Ahn-~”_ you cry out.

_“Yes,_ **_what?_** _”_ Gaster demanded you to clarify, you knew what you got yourself into the moment you kissed him at the bar, and he has been so patient with you, till now that is. That didn't mean you were just going to back down though, you wanted to play his game, so you decided to continue in addressing him the way he wanted.

_“Ye~s d-doctor~ah! I’m your-s~hn!”_ You moan out a submissive cry again as he positioned your hips and moved to angle his thrusts slightly after you finally had relaxed into him, he started to perfectly hit a sweet spot inside you, and you couldn't help but cry out again.

_“A~aah~ please I’m!”_ You shout in ecstasy, you can feel the fire rage in the pit of your stomach, Gaster rewards your cooperation with his own moan of his lustful praise.

_“A-ah yes, my flame? Mnh~ come with me to the edge of desire~.”_ He says chuckling with a deep moan, and summons a hand to firmly hold the hair at the back of your head, making sure you look him in the eye as he deeply thrusted into you at a relentless pace.

_“G-ah~! P-Ple~ase- d~doctor! A~ah I-I’m so c-l~ose-mhn~!”_ You beg Gaster to keep his brutal pace, and once again, he was more than happy to fulfill that request. 

Without his magic, your clear consciousness was overwhelmed by the pleasure that he gave you with just his body. He was sending you to these intense waves of pleasure through his physical actions only, as he guided your hips and his thrusts with absolute precision. His eyes were drunk with lust, and he speaks to you as you both unravel from you riding his cock at his vicious pace.

_“ **Yes** , ah~then be my devoted assistant-, and _ **_cum for me_** _.”_ Gaster commands with passionate dominance, and you could tell he was close too; then your body obeys him, as the knot in the pit of your stomach breaks free and you cry out for him. 

_“Y-es~ah_ **_doctor!_ ** _Ahnh~ga-!”_ A lightheaded feeling rushes through you as your orgasm crashes over you in waves, your satisfactory moan causes Gaster to tip over the edge too, as he cums and releases his essence inside of you while you're still riding out your own orgasm. With each thrust you could feel the rush of excessive amounts of his hot, jet-black cum fill your aching core, rope after rope as Gaster came down from the high of his release. With his breathing still heavy with lust, Gaster dissolves the summoned hand at your head to release its hold. He brings his right hand up to caress your face as he speaks softly looking at your content and exhausted expression with a satisfied smirk. 

_“I eagerly_ accept your devotion, _my eternal flame.”_ Gaster says, his words hushed with tender passion.

You nod softly and lean in to kiss Gaster lightly, still catching your breath, your forehead resting against his, you respond “I’m...glad we...could come to...this agreement _, doctor.”_ You smile, finally feeling content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOF guys even I was blushing and I wrote this HECK. The picture of Ember's soul drawn by me <3
> 
> A Few hilarious things me and my fiancée thought of while writing: 
> 
> -"Gaster be like enjoy me plowing your ex-girl in 4k HD 7.1 surround - Directly to your brain."  
> -"Ember didn't even have Tree-fiddy for the loch-ness monster, F in the comments."  
> -“I feel like Ember must have downloaded limewire to her soul at some point.”  
> -“Ember really wanna play doctor huh?”
> 
> Again if you could not open the translator it reads:  
> "Good, now stay away from her."
> 
> Give me your comments I turn them into nourishment through photosynthesis, which is good cause I'm to busy writing to eat normally. XD  
> \- 🔥


	7. Help, I'm alive.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster knew finding a cure for betrayal lines, and saving you weren't both guaranteed. There was a possibility for both, but If it came down to having to choose between the two; he did know of only -one- sure way to save you. So, in this very moment, Gaster decided that he would throw himself back into the void if it meant he could prevent you from a similar fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been auto pilot writing again xD Oh gosh so, first chapter of the big reveal today. Then just like Adelya says, 'what could be bigger news then this?' NEXT CHAPTER there is a huge smut and plot 😎 It will actually mark the end of the prologue arch of this story, sense the real hook of the story happens then. THATS RIGHT GUYS 80,000+ words for a PROULOGE. It has dawned on me that I am writing an saga apparently.
> 
> There is a huge amount of plot in this chapter, and even more in the next one I'm posting tomorrow. I've been waiting for this reveal since the beginning and it took everything I had in me not to provide too much information till now lol. Things are going to start making sense to you guys, Not entirely you in the story tho, but you IRL will understand things more with this chapter, and then even more In tomorrow's chapter ❤😎 Hold on tight guys, today and tomorrow are gunna be a RIDE
> 
> ~🔥

After you and Gaster caught your respective breaths, your night had ended similar to how your morning had started. Gaster held you in his arms while the bath was filling up, as the hot water ran the scent of eucalyptus and lavender bath soaps filled the air. You’d been a little sleepy from the sex and wine, so Gaster had offered to join you in the bath; that way the warm water didn't make you fall asleep in the tub. You didn't refuse his offer of course, you most likely _would have_ fallen asleep sure, but you also had more things to talk about and it would be relaxing to take a bath with him as you did so.

After the summoned hands had the bath prepared, Gaster gracefully carried you in with him; he had you in front of him so you were leaning back against his chest. You figured you could ask him whatever came to your mind, and you knew he was probably waiting for you to do just that anyway.

“Hey so, are you going to drop me off at the dorm room again tomorrow?” You start, “I really don't know how I'm going to _actually focus_ on anything though.” You sigh as you lament to him.

“Dear,” Gaster starts, with a calm and soft tone, “I advise you to clear your schedule, take the day to rest and think things over.” He says as a summoned hand brings him a washcloth, which he hands to you. Gaster has his right arm braced on the edge of the tub, his elbow supporting the hand he leaned his head against as he watched you. 

“Yeah okay, I guess that's probably a good call, I’ll have to email my professors and say I'm sick or something though, _and_ let Adelya know…” You say as you dip the cloth in the water, and reach for the small bottle of lush body wash to your right to suds up the washcloth before running it down the length of your arm. Gaster has his left hand resting on your thigh under the water, his thumb absentmindedly moving in circles on your soft skin as you continue to talk. 

“What about _your_ class? Aren't people going to be suspicious if I don't get kicked out for not being there?” You ask and Gaster scoffs in amusement.

“ _Contrary to popular belief Ember,_ students _are_ allowed to be absent from my class; if they have the proper paperwork for proof of a _legitimate excuse_ , that is. Obviously I will exempt you from attending class tomorrow.” He says, with a faintly sly smile. You click your tongue and lean against Gaster’s chest fully to look up at him and smile.

“Are you trying to say that you're going to let me cut class, cause I’ve got the most _legitimate doctor's note_ ever?” You say as you giggle, and Gaster lets out a brief arid chuckle.

“Yes, actually I guess that’s _technically true_.” He says, he moves the hand he was previously leaning on to gently take the washcloth from your hand. You're still fully leaning back against his chest, as he runs the warm cloth down your neck over your sternum and to your chest, and you listen as he continues to speak.

“Dear, do you remember my conditions that I previously mentioned?” He softly asks you, your heart flutters at each tender movement he makes, as he gently moves the washcloth over your body and you reply.

__"Y_ es_, full cooperation, and a lot of my time with you, right?” You respond curious as to where he was going with this.

_"I believe I said_ , full cooperation, and much of your time _under my surveillance,_ dear.” He says, and you blink a few times in confusion, but the day has been long and you rather he just explain, so you ask.

_"Okay,_ which means what, then?” You say with a polite sigh, asking him to clarify.

_"I_ _t means_ , I will need you to be readily available so I can study your soul, in more than just through _physical_ means, dear.” Gaster says, and you just blink still not understanding his point; and he continues.

_“I prefer_ not to waste any time, and find the cure in _under_ four years; I also do not wish to constantly sneak around campus to do so, dear.” Gaster says, he can sense your confusion still.

_“Therefore_ Ember, it would be in our best interest for you to live here, with me. It is important to note, besides you and I, only two other people know I live here of course.” He says calmly, but you on the other hand have lots of questions, so you slightly turn your shoulder to look over at him as you ask them.

“Okay, well... _um_.” You say, pausing for a moment, but doing your best to stay calm you continue. “There are a lot of _problems_ with that... _firstly_ , I don't want to leave Adelya alone. _Secondly_ , what about my classes and how would I get to them? _And third_ , what about If I want to go anywhere? This place is huge but I'm not going to just stay here all the time.” You rant to him with a concerned expression. Gaster doesn't respond right away, he just slides his arms around your waist, and moves to pull you back against his chest, nuzzling his face against your right shoulder. You give a surprised squeak at his movements, but then he explains to you calmly as he holds you in place. 

“Your friend may live here too, Ember. There are eight bedrooms In this house, and plenty of space for her, and us, to have more than enough _privacy_. I will provide any living costs, and will provide any fuel costs for her to drive the _ten minutes_ it takes to get you both back on campus. So please dear, do not worry about the details with that, _I will take care of them_. _”_ Gaster says to you in a soft reassurance.

“O-Oh... _really?”_ You say, relieved and a bit shocked at Gasters willingness to allow Adelya to live here as well. You’re more shocked however, at this kind of soft, almost romantic attention from Gaster; it made you feel a warmth that flustered you in a different way then he usually did. 

“W-Wow, um I know Adelya would be shocked, but I don't think she would _refuse_ to live here. Um, I would have to explain a _lot_ to her though... I _am allowed to tell her things,_ right?” You ask, slowly digesting the new information. Gaster is still holding you close to him as he gives you a hum of approval, you take it as a sign to continue, “Okay good...then what about my classes? Aren't you still teaching during them anyway?” You ask, because why do you have to even bother being available while he was just going to be working? 

“I am _contractually obligated_ to teach until next fall,” Gaster mumbles still snuggling up to your neck, “and I do not wish to deal with the _headache_ the king will give me, for trying to back out of it in the middle of a semester.” He says with a hint of irritation in his voice, he lifts his head a little to speak more clearly but still holds a soft tone as he speaks.

“That said, you should think about what you _actually_ wish to do with school, dear. Then we will talk about it when I return from teaching my last class, tomorrow.” Gaster lightly kisses your neck, and you giggle as he continues, “You are also free to go wherever you want to of course, as long as I’m informed beforehand, and you agree to my last condition related to surveillance.” It was really hard to continue to be annoyed while he was kissing your neck so sweetly like this, so you could only muster up a small sigh before asking him another question again.

_“And that would be?”_ You say, failing to resist melting into the comfort of Gaster’s affections.

“Your soul is rare in the sense that _normally_ , anyone in your condition should have already been claimed by the void.” You could feel Gasters arms hold you just a bit closer as he continued, “I do not wish that fate on you, dear…” he says softly, taking a moment of pause before continuing. “...If anything goes _wrong_ , I need to know _where_ you are, so I may prevent you from disappearing.” He says, as he slowly trails his soft kisses from your neck to your shoulder again, before explaining more. 

“Therefore, _for your own safety_ , It would be wise for me to put a dimensional tracker on your phone, it will allow me to locate the signal of your soul. That way I can use it, and in extension the void, to come to you if you're in danger.” Gaster calmly explains. This was _a lot to unpack_ , but you wanted to ask a brief question first.

“How would you even be able to know if, or when, I'm in trouble? What if I can't call you?” You asked worried, he is right, all logical research about betrayal lines point to how you _shouldn't even exist_. You knew you and your soul were living in a _dangerous_ state, it's why you didn't want to stop communication with Gaster in the first place.

“The dimensional box allows me to connect to the signal your soul radiates; I can read the state of your soul this way, so I will know immediately if there is anything wrong.” Gaster assures you.

“Oh, will it still work If I don't have a signal?” You ask, so far _this_ condition sounds like a good idea, safety wise.

“Cellular signal is not necessary, the dimensional box will work even if your phone is powered off. My magic works to supply the power it needs, I only need to mount it to a device you will constantly have with you.” Gaster says, then he tacks on one last comment “However, even that has a certain radius, If you're any further than the edge of town here, It will not be operational. So, If you wish to go any farther, I must accompany you to guarantee your safety.” He says with a resolute tone.

“Gaster...I understand why you need to do that, I can feel the dread and severity of the betrayal lines within me, and it _definitely_ makes me feel unsafe to be somewhere you can't help.” You bring a hand up to lightly touch one of his arms, that were still holding you closely.

“I’m not upset or refusing, in fact I think it's a good idea to make sure I'm safe...it's just that it’s going to be _really_ hard to explain you tracking me to Adelya, on top of all of this.” You sigh before accepting the reality of this all once more. 

“The last thing I want is to lie to Adelya, but it may be a good idea to just _leave that part out_ for now; just until she realizes you mean well, at least.” You say, you know Gaster really does mean well, but this is a huge change that your brain needs time to fully digest, thankfully Gaster knew that.

_“As you wish, my flame.”_ He says, then he lightly nibbles at your earlobe, and he quickly and successfully helps change your mood from stressed to relaxed. You giggle at his sudden flirtatious mood, and you briefly wonder if he’d been holding back acting like this until you agreed to everything. No matter the reason for it, you were just enjoying this affectionate attention from him now.

When the two of you were thoroughly clean, Gaster changed your bandage on your shoulder, and gave you one of his sweaters to sleep in again. He told you your shoulder was healing, but that it might scar and that once it was healed fully he could help with that too. Part of you wanted it to scar, and so you also began to formulate an _interesting idea_. 

There were fresh warm sheets on the bed when you returned, Gaster held you close as the two of you moved under the covers, you were more than happy to be his little spoon. You knew he had his possessive moments; but you really didn't expect Gaster to trap you in his arms. The only time you're free of his hold is when he let you snuggle up to his chest with his arm around you; and he was so comfortably warm. Gaster may appear to others as cold or stand-off-ish, with his words and mannerisms, but you were happy in knowing that there was much more to him than that. The fact that he is only showing _you_ this possessive, affectionate side of him, made you feel something that you felt would be _dangerous to admit_. You didn't know if it was reasonable to feel that yet, so you try and let the thought go for now, as you drifted asleep comfortably warm and content in Gaster’s arms.

* * *

Gaster always thought he was broken, sure he had _always been able_ to do what his kind could; but he never had the _want_ , or _drive_ , to actually use the magic abilities he possessed, (that weren't his battle magics) as they were _intended_. Physical cravings for him used to only happen during the months of his mating instincts were supposed to kick in. He learned to control that and subdue all of those cravings a long time ago, and for the majority of his life now actually, they haven't affected him at all, up until you that is.

Previously, the only desire he ever had was for knowledge and discovery, he even cultivated his own healing magic over many years. Although difficult, it is not impossible for a monster to learn new magic; he learned to heal so that he had something useful instead of his powers he was given at birth. When he fell into the void, it ripped away all the healing magic he had painstakingly learned, and ‘reset’ his magic to ‘default’. After escaping from the void, Gaster was _even less_ driven by emotion than he had been before. Even his own experiments tell him he is _nothing_ as he used to be, Sans goes so far as accusing him of being a villainous emotionless shell; _and for a while he believed this was true._

_You however_ , seem to be the only exception for him in _many_ things. For a while he thought he was just fascinated, you were the discovery he had been waiting for after all, the soul he saw when his creation pulled him into the void. Then he stopped and realized, his desire and craving for you weren't _ever_ normal to begin with, for him at least. The more time he spent around you the worse it got, and not until laying with you, did he experience these new exhilarating sensations. The rush of satisfaction your moans and mewls gave him was causing him to spiral into _obsession_ , and the more he was around you; the harder it was for him to control his natural possessive tendencies. 

Even before the void, _even before_ his experiments, _even before_ becoming the royal scientist, he had **_never_** felt the desire to act on his instincts like this. Only a handful of people _actually knew_ what monster species he was, and _even they_ _knew_ he had never been driven to act like his kind. 

He was never instinctively motivated by lust as an **_incubus_** should be; until **_you_** that is.

Gaster understood that being an actual incubus monster may be causing his increase in his desire for you; and then him _actually indulging_ in his carnal desires may be dangerous. It was as he said to you this morning, he was only tempted to be an incubus again for _you_ and _you alone_.

As Gaster watched your quiet sleeping form, certain things finally started to make sense to him. For example, the fact that once you actually appeared in Gasters life; it felt like he had only just begun to breathe again for the first time since being pulled from the void. With you sleeping in his arms, he thought back to how you had _almost immediately_ realized what he was, after waking up this morning.

You may have been joking when you called him an incubus, but he felt that _something in you just knew_ what he was after laying with him. You were different though, because you had been drawn to him _without_ him using his magic to attract or force you. He feared that something he had been avoiding his whole existence had actually happened to him, something he had been denying for a few days now. He had become obsessed with you and your soul, but realistically he already knew that; ever since the kiss he stole from you at the creek. 

Gaster needed to remind himself of the dangers of acting as a true incubus; before things got too _involved._ He only got this far by suppressing those natural tendencies in the first place, he couldn't just throw away centuries of work and get lost in his obsession over you, no matter how badly he wanted to do so. So far, Gaster had only used the parts of his magic on you that did not control or affect your free will, and he wanted to keep it that way. He needed to focus on finding a cure to remove your betrayal lines, before you possibly disappear. 

Gaster brushed a strand of hair away from your face and made a decision; finding a cure for betrayal lines, and saving you weren't _both_ guaranteed. There was a _possibility_ for both, but If it came down to having to _choose_ between the two; he did know of only one sure way to save you. So, in this very moment, Gaster decided that he would throw himself back into the void if it meant he could prevent you from a similar fate.

* * *

  
  


You figured Gaster was never the kind to be late, that's why you also knew he must have stayed in bed to hold you until the last moment. You knew because as you slowly woke up, you watched him quickly move back and forth around the room getting ready. He was already mostly dressed, only missing his lab coat, and seemed to be gathering papers from around his desk. It was kind of silly watching him in a sort-of rush to gather his things like this, and you couldn't help but giggle before speaking to him.

“Good morning?” You push the hair away from your face, by combing your fingers through it as you yawn, giggling just a bit as you see Gaster pause. He turns around with a look that suggests he was annoyed with himself for waking you.

“Ah- right, good morning Ember, did I wake you?” Gaster says as he walks over towards you, you're still sitting up on the bed, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.

“Nah, just woke up on my own, are you leaving soon then?” You ask, dropping your hand to rest back in your lap as you look up to Gaster, giving him a soft smile. 

_"Yes dear_ , I ask that you stay here at the house till I am done with classes for the day.” He says returning your smile with a subtle one of his own.

“Okay, but can Adelya come here to talk then? I would prefer to talk to her about _all this_ in person.” You say a bit nervous, you needed to talk to her today or you would go crazy.

“Of course, just ask her to be...discreet about it for now.” He says in a soft, stoic tone as he brings his right hand up to lightly hold the side of your face. You could feel a slight calm rush over you, and you lean into his hand giving him another smile to show you appreciated his calming gesture. 

“Okay, I’ll make sure to tell her that first.” You say with a sigh, you had a lot of thinking and explaining to do today. Gaster gives you a nod, before retreating his hand from your face gently to continue to gather his things, he put on his lab coat and was about to grab his briefcase but stopped to add another comment.

“I will return around five o’clock, you are free to use the kitchen while I'm away, just-” Gaster starts to say, but you cut him off.

“I am a grown woman and I am not going to hurt myself making breakfast, Gaster.” You cross your arms and roll your eyes at him playfully, giving him an amused smile. It was funny how he thought you were so fragile, when he _knew_ you weren't, and your own soul was proof of that. Well _you_ may think that it makes you stronger, but _Gaster_ seems to think you’re in more danger because of it, and _he might actually be right_.

“Right, _well_...good then.” Gaster says. You can tell that he doesn't know how to say goodbye to you, so you get out of bed to help say it for him. As you walk up to Gaster you're surprised to find out you were in no pain from last night as you do so. His briefcase was in his right hand, and his gaze was fixed on you, you casually placed your hands on his chest, seemingly smoothing his sweater in place for him.

“See you later then, doctor.” You say, as you lightly grip the lapels of his white lab coat, before lifting your heels from the floor to make yourself a bit taller. Gaster understands you want him closer and he leans down a bit, so you can give him a soft kiss on his lips. Gaster’s expression was slightly shocked, but he didn't seem upset, still you worried. You worried he was going to think you were too clingy, and you thought about back peddling as you began to back away. Gaster stopped you before you could, however, placing his left hand at the small of your back and pulling you close against him.

“Yes, dear.” He says, before kissing you again with a bit more fervor behind his kiss. Then retreating from the kiss slightly, to rest his forehead against yours, “I’ll see you soon.” Gaster says before taking a few steps back, and then dissolving from reality.

* * *

When Gaster left, you had only one more question left, where even _is_ the kitchen? Walking past the bedroom, your phone in hand, and still in Gaster’s sweater, you came upon a cozy [ sitting area ](https://imgur.com/a/soCqm6x). Then past that room, you found the stairs down to the first floor. You couldn't really see anything with the whole house barely lit, and you had been using your phone's flashlight to navigate. Before you went down the stairs you found that there were a bunch of light switches at the top of them next to you. 

You figured since Gaster wasn't home, you could switch on all the lights, and there were _lots_ of switches; you weren't even sure if all of the things you turned on we're lights. Once you walked down the stairs, you turned the corner; and almost had a heart attack from thinking you were going to fall into a [ fancy wine ](https://imgur.com/a/IdUuiEi) cellar on the ground. Thankfully, you relaxed when you realized that it had a glass top surface, but you still refused to walk on it. 

The [ main area ](https://imgur.com/a/QooSOfz) of the house was absolutely _massive_ , you just gawked at everything as you continued to walk past it and came upon another [ hallway. ](https://imgur.com/a/Blwu2DH)You thought the main hall room _upstairs_ was large, but the ground floor had such high ceilings you couldn't reach it even if 10 of you stood on your shoulders. You remember that there were also stairs on the second floor, that lead up to a _third_ floor. You probably should have checked that floor first, but you needed to make yourself some food before climbing up any stairs. Then, as you were absentmindedly wandering you had stumbled upon the [ kitchen ](https://imgur.com/a/6gkFbq7) without even realizing it at first.

“I am so going to get lost in here.” You say to yourself giggling. Before checking to see what was in the fridge, you typed up a general but formal email on your phone. You respectfully asked your other professors to excuse you from your classes today; due to illness. After sending the email to each of your professors, you briefly reflect on what the teachers would do if everyone in the class was sick. That thought was a little impossible though, unless everyone coordinated or like, _a huge pandemic was happening_. The chances of that are one in a million though, monster magic helped simple illnesses become a thing of the past, for the most part. 

The next thing you made sure to do is text Adelya, who conveniently just messaged you.

_*Adelya*--Hey Rockstar, hope you had fun last night, lol. So what's the plan, you coming back here soon?--_

You knew you had to tell her, but you still wanted to be a bit secret for now; the news was still pretty exciting after all, so you figured you might as well try to make it a fun surprise.

_\--Hey girl! <3 I totally did have- probably the absolute most-fun time ever, lol. I told my professors I'm sick today actually, don't judge I got a lot of things to think over. Don't worry though, they're definitely all good things. Something crazy-awesome happened, but I don't wanna spoil the surprise just yet. Can you text me when you're done with classes today? I’ll meet up with you then to tell you.-- _

_*Adelya*-- omg wall of text XD glad you had ‘the absolute most-fun time ever’ pffft, you got me all excited now haha, but guess I'll wait, my last class is at 3pm so I’ll message you then~--_

_\--Awesome, I’ll text you later then ;)--_

You turn on a playlist you had saved named ‘my soul songs’, you found the name of your playlist funny. You had simply meant for it to be songs that resonate with you, but now you wonder if these songs in particular made your soul react any different then others. Setting your phone down on the granite counter the[ first song ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoK63Bk7pgw&ab_channel=dustycool66) starts to play as you stand in front of the refrigerator. 

**_♫ I tremble..._ **

**_They're gonna eat me alive,_ **

**_If I stumble..._ **

**_They're gonna eat me alive, ♫_ **

You kinda just look at your slight reflection in the glass-stainless steel combo fridge, the only time you’ve seen one this nice in person, was at the Home Depot. Okay you feel silly, that's enough admiring a stupid fridge. 

**_♫ Can you hear my heart?_ **

**_Beating like a ha-mmer...?_ **

**_Beating like a ha-mmer? ♫_ **

You shake your head and laugh at yourself, opening the refrigerator door you let out an amused breath of air, it looked like a picture perfect suburban mom’s refrigerator. 

**_♫ Help I'm alive,_ **

**_my heart keeps beating like a hammer._ **

**_Hard to be soft..._ **

**_tough to-be tender._ **

**_Come take, my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train._ **

**_Help I'm alive,_ **

**_my heart keeps beating like-a-hammer… ♫_ **

Everything was labeled, put away in perfect air-tight sealed glass containers, and there were so many fresh, healthy foods and ingredients. 

**_♫ Beating like a ha-mmer...?_ **

**_Beating like a ha-mmer? ♫_ **

Nothing was even placed crooked, and everything in the fridge looked like it had been calculated before being organized on the shelfs. If you didn't know any better you’d’ve sworn you were on the set of a modern-pristine Martha Stewart kitchen show. You figured you would just make yourself an easy omelet, so you grabbed the eggs, and some cheese. As you went about setting things up to cook you sang along to your music.

♫~ _”If you're still a-live,_

_My regrets are few..._

_If my life is mi-ne,_

_What shouldn't I do?”_ ~♫

You found a reasonably sized frying pan and put it on the gigantic stove, after you let it heat up a bit you melted some butter in the pan. You think about how this opportunity with Gaster was like something out of a dream; but you also think about how there is a good chance you may not even live long enough to fully reach your dreams.

♫~ _”I get wherever I'm going,_

_I get whatever I need..._

_While my blood's still flowing,_

_And my heart's still...”_ ~♫

You crack a few eggs into the pan as you told yourself that you had to use your time wisely. Your betrayal lines might just end up killing you in a worst-case scenario; and you couldn't just sit back and relax just because Gaster was providing you with the money you needed. You were never the type to be lazy with things you actually cared about anyway, so as long as your heart was…

♫~ _”Beating like a ha-mmer_

_Beating like a ha-mmer_

_Help I'm alive,_

_my heart keeps beating like-a-hammer.”_ ~♫

You would actually work hard towards perfecting your dream. Sure you had to stay here with Gaster, but that didn't mean you had to stop bettering yourself or going to school. You knew this meant you had to change your major at the end of the semester this December. 

_♫~”Hard to be soft,_

_tough to be tender...”~♫_

You added the cheese, while you thought you could possibly try and get a bachelor's degree in music in performance here. It wasn’t what this college was really known for, but you couldn't just waste your time in the psychology major anymore. After all, you didn't have to appease your parents anymore, right?

_♫~”“Come take, my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train._

_Help I'm alive,_

_My heart keeps beating like-a-hammer..._

_Beating like a ha-mmer...”~♫_

However, you knew trying to start new classes in the middle of a semester wasn't really possible.

_♫~”Beating like a ha-mmer…_

_Beating like a ha-mmer!”_ ~♫

You could do it now if you wanted to, but you wouldn’t end up getting into the classes you wanted, they would all be full by now. Plus, you wanted to finish Gaster’s class; if not for your personal pride, then for the fact that Gaster most likely wouldn’t expect anything less from you anyway. You also really liked to watch him teach, admittedly.

♫~ _”If you're still a-live,_

_My regrets are few..._

_If my life is mi-ne,_

_What shouldn't I do?”_ ~♫

That said you admitted that you should drop out of all your other classes for now though, this way you could completely focus on practicing until the next semester started. 

♫~ _”I-get-wherever-I'm going,_

_I-get-whatever I need..._

_While my blood's still flowing,_

_And my heart's still...”_ ~♫

It was exciting to finally be able to do something related to your dream that could improve your skills.

_♫~”Beating like a ha-mmer...”_ ~♫

You think about how in just one year, you’ll have 365,000$ in your bank.

_♫~”Beating like a ha-mmer…[beating like-a-hammer] ”_ ~♫

The thought was amazing, sure. So amazing it was unbelievable, in fact...you turn off the stove and move the pan over to a different burner.

_♫~”Beating like a ha-mmer…[beating like-a-hammer] ”_ ~♫

_So unbelievable_ in fact, you start to wonder _how you're even going to tell your parents_. Your anxiety grows, and you start to feel that hum of that familiar bass feeling from before.

_♫~”Beating like a ha-mmer…[beating like-a-hammer] ”_ ~♫

You imagine how they may just misunderstand all this if you tried to explain. Of course you wouldn’t tell them about your _physical_ relationship with Gaster, but with this much money Involved they were bound to accuse you of it. The panic starts to set in.

♫~ _”I tremble...”~♫_

They would think you were being an expensive sex-worker, or a ‘gold digger’; the hum in your chest is intense. You didn't have any problem at all with sex worker’s, or the thought of anyone thinking you were one of course, but you knew _your parents did…_

♫~ _”They’re gonna eat me alive...”~♫_

You need to have a chance to explain things to them clearly and calmly. You step away from the stove and brace yourself against the counter, you still sing as this was the only way you could vent your emotions right now.

♫~ _”If I stumble...”~♫_

You did not _want_ to have to cut off your whole family, they were still your family, even if they didn’t believe in you. You’re supposed to try and be on good terms with your family no matter what _right?_

♫~ _”They’re gonna eat me alive...”~♫_

You struggled to sing more, you felt _exhausted_ but that just made you feel even _more irritated and determined_ to keep singing considering your current thoughts, so you sing as the bass of the song beats with your heart.

_♫~”Can you hear my heart?_

_Beating like a ha-mmer…_

_Beating like a ha-mmer…_

_Beating like a ha-mmer…_

_Beating like a ha-mmer…!”_ ~♫

The booming in your chest starts to become painful, but you take a strong breath before sing-speaking the last few lines of the song.

_♫~”Help I'm alive,_

_my heart keeps beating like-a ha-mmer.”_ ~♫

You felt so exhausted after singing that song, so you chose to just listen to the next few in your playlist. You finish your omelet, and after your stomach is full; you make sure to clean, dry and put away any dishes you had used. You didn't really feel like climbing up the stairs again, so you chose to sit on the sofa across from the marble fireplace that was in [ the hall.](https://imgur.com/a/Blwu2DH) It wasn't too far from the kitchen so if you needed something to drink it wouldn't be far. Placing your phone that was still softly playing music, down on the table; you thought about how funny it was that there were _so many_ places to sit in this house. 

Funny because, how many people would Gaster realistically need to entertain at one time? You don't think the number would be big enough to warrant this many chairs and sofas. You somehow doubt there has ever been more than just him and those two people he mentioned knew he lived here, you wondered who those two other people could be.

You also remembered how last night Gaster had said he _‘did not wish to deal with the headache the king will give him_ '; about breaking his teaching contract for the year. Did Gaster personally know King Asgore? Of course, _everyone_ knew of the king and his name, since MEU was the first college to integrate monsters; maybe the king oversaw all monster teachers here and that’s what Gaster was referring to? 

The human who broke the barrier, Frisk, went to this college after all, and had graduated a few years prior; it's even rumored all of the royal family came here with them. The ‘royal family’ was the original group of monsters who came to the surface first when the barrier broke. The king, queen and their son were goat monsters. Then there was a fish monster, that had been the previous captain of the royal guard, and a lizard monster; who was the second royal scientist in charge of finding an escape from the underground. Then, there was...two skeleton...monsters...and lastly, one other unspecified tall monster...who was said to be a soul...expert and was the first...royal scientist.

_“Oh my god I’m so dumb.”_ You say out loud to yourself covering your face with your hands as you lean back against the couch. You know you've seen some pictures of them before, you were apparently really good at forgetting _huge details_ like this. 

“ _Well that would explain why he's got so much money to burn._ ” You groan in frustration, you just hope Gaster didn't realize you had no idea who he actually was yet. Okay well he _may_ not have _at first_ , but he’s definitely going to find out when he gets back. You knew you wouldn't be able to stop mentally beating yourself up about it, and would probably be broadcasting that fact _‘out loud’_ to him once he came back. 

“He did say he mostly had me on mute right?” You mutter to yourself. “Maybe I can get away with it for a little longer…?” You sigh.

You started to think about what happened while you were making breakfast, and you figured maybe you were just having panic attacks when you sang emotionally stressful songs? That didn't make any sense though, you had been singing a slightly self-deprecating song the other night at karaoke too. But you’d stopped feeling exhausted right around the time you...well right around the time you were fantasizing about Gaster actually. You were perfectly fine then, in fact you felt better, after you stopped stressing over the conversation you’d yet to have with Sans. So then it wasn't about what lyrics you were singing, but about what you were thinking as you were singing them?

There was a lot on your mind, but your singing always took priority, so you took a moment to dwell on this. As you did you came down to two possible explanations. The first being, that you could be triggering intense panic attacks, by thinking of stressful situations and getting too caught up in your own mind. That may be the most logical explanation, but it scared the hell out of you, if it was true. Because that would mean you unknowingly built a mental block somehow; that made it almost impossible for you to sing under pressure. How were you supposed to have the energy to perform on stage for thousands of people, without feeling stressed? 

The second possible reason being, your betrayal lines had something to do with this, and were somehow affecting you. You theorized if this was the case, then when you specifically focused on your _worries and fears_ as you sang; they may be taking advantage of that momentary weakness. Gaster had only briefly mentioned in his class, but he said that worries and fears were the opposite of hopes and dreams in a soul. If hopes and dreams are what we're supposed to keep the soul happy, then worries and fears worked against the soul. Taking that into consideration, when you sang were your betrayal lines draining your energy? How were you supposed to convey emotions in your singing, without opening yourself up to that feeling of vulnerability? 

You promised yourself you would ask Gaster about this all when he came back.

* * *

  
  


As Gaster went on to teach his different lectures he had scheduled for the day, he couldn’t help but think about you. He _was_ able to focus on teaching however, and found doing something this mundane actually gave him some time to think about his current situation. As Gaster reflected on the events of last night and this morning, he let himself ponder the very realistic dangers of this newly obsessive behavior towards you.

Since Gaster had never desired lust or romance, he figured creating experiments from, (quite literally) his own hands, was a far more interesting method of creating life. That's when Sans and Papyrus were created, through pieces of his physical form and pieces of his soul. When he fell into the void, its poison flooded through the cracks in his soul that were left there, from what he had sacrificed to create his experiments. 

It seemed by the time frisk had pulled him out of the void, he was the only one left of his kind. He expected as much from a species that does not usually desire to produce with their own, and were widely avoided romantically by other monsters. His kind was so frequently intertwined with other species, and had appeared to have bred themselves out of existence. As Gaster began to dwell on the disadvantages of his species, he was reminded that a truly content incubus or succubus was difficult to find. It was mostly due to the chosen soul of the incubus, not returning their romantic advances; incubus monsters were the _only monsters_ who could create a _one-sided soul bond_. Gaster also knew that historically, his kind reacted to rejection... _poorly_. 

If their chosen soul resists them, the incubus in question would truly only be left with two choices. They could either accept the refusal, in which imminent soul fading and shattering would soon follow. Or said incubus could just _make_ the soul that is their obsession, _unable_ to refuse. Most of the time, the incubi’s attraction magic and sensory magic are enough to successfully _convince_ a soul. However, If the refusing soul is particularly stubborn, there was _one last_ ability at their disposal. Which was to _completely control_ the free will of their obsession. It can have adverse effects for the victim, so it is used as a last resort. However, because of this, his kind were seen as evil and villainous; even to other monsters. That being said, when it came to being an incubus monster, Gaster was _exceptionally skillful_.

Of course, he doesn't need to do that with you, because you want him physically just as much as he wants you, that thought gave Gaster a small rush of excitement. He would never need to forcefully convince you into wanting him, but he also knew you couldn't survive being controlled by him with your soul in your current state. He wouldn't let himself hurt you; not when he had finally found a soul worth protecting, so he wouldn’t let it get to the point of needing to control you. 

Right when Gaster had finished teaching his last class of the day, and was about to teleport home to you, he felt a huge influx of negative emotion coming from the void. When he checked his phone to see if it was your father calling you again, he saw you had sent him a text and told him you were not at home. You were at the creek and you were with your friend, and Sans had apparently met the two of you there, uninvited. 

He was less upset at you not following his order to stay home, and more furious that his experiment still refused to back off; and was most likely causing distress for you and your soul. He would fix that.

* * *

  
  


At around 3:00pm Adelya called you, and you were still sitting on the couch when you answered your phone. You had told her to meet you at the end of maple street, and to stay in the car and call you when she arrived. She asked if you _‘went on a long walk to think or something’_ , and you only giggled and asked her to bring you a change of clothes too. As curious as Adelya was, she was patient enough to wait for your explanation, so she agreed and told you she would see you in around 15 minutes.

So around 15 minutes later, Adelya called you, and you could see her car outside from the front door you had cracked open slightly.

_(“Okay Ember, I’m here and still in my car like you told me, where are you?”)_

“Okay awesome,” you try and fail to hold your happy giggles. “Alright, first put your car in park and turn it off, but stay in the car trust me.” You knew you had to have Adelya still in the car if you wanted to surprise her, because you knew she was going to squeal excitedly at the fact Gaster owned this place. You had to keep a low profile and couldn’t have her loudly squealing outside.

_(“Alllllright sure.”)_ She says, and you can hear her car turning off from your spot at the front door. _(“Okay, done. Now will you tell me what's going on?”)_ She sighs.

“Okay cool, I sure can! _Ohmy_ ** _gosh_ ** _okay,_ you're never going to believe this but, I am **_in_ ** _theé big mansion_ right now!” You say excitedly, and Adelya is just confused at first.

_(“What!? No way... How?? Did you break in? Wait...holy shit no way dOES_ **_HE_ ** _-?”)_ Adelya starts to say, but you're too excited to let her finish before confirming.

“YES girl, he totally lives here! _This is his house!”_ You giggle happily, and as expected Adelya takes a moment to freak out.

_(“OhmyGOD! Ember, am I aloud to come in???”)_ She said, squealing.

“Yes! I asked him this morning he said it's cool but you gotta be discreet so like, just get in here quickly!” You giggled more and all you could hear was the click of the phone call ending. 

You saw Adelya quickly get out of the car, making sure to close the car door silently, with some of your clothes tucked close to her chest. She started tiptoeing then realized that was ridiculous and did a quick jog to the front door. She made sure to not say anything until you ushered her inside and had shut the door behind her.

“Holy crap girl! _LOOK_ at this place! It's freaking massive!” Adelya says as she looks around, handing you the folded clothes she brought for you.

“I know right?!?” You both look at each other and squeal back and forth like two main characters in a chick flick. You try your best to compose yourself before you tell Adelya to give you one second to change into your clothes she brought you. There was a bit of a problem though…

“Adelya, did you look when you were grabbing me something to wear?” You say from the giant coat closet to the side near the front door. You didn't care if she saw you naked, but there was just something weird about changing out in the open of this huge house. 

“I mean, yes? I even grabbed you the fishnets and stockings, why?” Adelya questions.

“And I appreciate that, I really do twinkle-toes, but how am I supposed to hide my shoulder bandage with a shirt like this?” You ask her as you step out of the closet to show her the [ outfit ](https://imgur.com/a/bF4HkLR) she picked out for you.

“Oh, whoops. Forgot about that, wait why does it even matter where were you planning on going?” Adelya asks.

“To the creek after I tell you the big news, I wanna get some fresh air before Gaster gets back.” You say, and Adelya asks the only logical question in response.

“The freaking mansion wasn't the big news? What could be bigger news than this!?” She encourages you to continue.

“I’ll tell you as long as you follow me~” You say, and start to walk away.

Adelya quickly follows you through the large mansion as you successfully tell her everything you had not already filled her in on, which was quite a lot. She had lots of questions, mainly about your betrayal lines, now that you confirmed to her that you do indeed have a bunch on your soul. After ensuring you would still be okay as long as you had Gaster, Adelya at one point asked you if you could get Gaster to tell you her soul color. You giggled but absolutely refused, and you told her she should ask Sans. 

“Better yet, lets see you build up the courage to ask Gaster himself.” You say laughing.

The two of you continued around the mansion and while Adelya continued to be amazed you explained more. When you finally got to the shocking 1,000$-a-day news, she started crying for you, and you couldn't help but cry again too. She had to ask you many times at first if you were messing with her, and when you finally convinced her you were serious; she started blubbering about how you could finally fulfill your life’s dream. 

You continued to reassure her that you were going to be smart about this and save and plan before you did anything, as well as the fact that you agreed to stay here for around 4 years anyway. You told her about how Gaster said it might take even less time to fix your soul, as long as you spent as much time with him as possible. You told her all you had to do is be around him and cooperate, so you could both work towards finding the cure for betrayal lines easily. Adelya wanted to believe you, but wondered if your confidence in him was justifiable, so you told her what you had only realized this morning.

“Adelya, Gaster is the first royal scientist to the king of all monsters. He is also the most knowledgeable person on human souls in the world.” You assure her.

“Oh gosh that's right, he's like _super old_ isn't he?” She says.

_“That's_ what you took from all this?” You giggle at the absurdity.

“Hey I'm not here to judge Ember, you want the _silver fox_ that's all you.” She says smirking.

_"Ohmygosh_ be quiet ya dork I haven't even told you the best part yet!” You giggle, well now’s just as good as any other time to tell her, you think.

As you and Adelya climbed the stairs from the [ main room ](https://imgur.com/a/x83e4gV) of the second floor, to the [ main room ](https://imgur.com/a/CpKipha) of the third floor; you both looked around in awe as it was just as modern and spacious. After Adelya had loudly asked why one person needed so much space, you told her that _if anyone enjoyed solitude and personal space_ , it was Gaster. You knew that wasn’t completely true from cuddling him last night, but he clearly made it appear to everyone else that he valued his personal space. You told Adelya to take a seat on literally any one of the thousands of seats around her, so you can tell her ‘the best part’. You start by saying he wanted you to live here with him, and after she was done flipping out excitedly over that, you then told Adelya how he said she was invited to live here, too.

_“ME TOO_? B-But what about!?” She started, and almost exactly quoting Gaster, you told her not to be worried.

You explained how he offered to pay for anything the two of you needed, even get her out of the dorm room rental contract, because he wanted you to have anything you needed. You told her how you made it clear to him that what you needed was her to be with you. After crying and hugging you briefly for the sweet sentiment, she got worried about invading your privacy. Then, just as Gaster had with you, you again explained to Adelya that there were 8 bedrooms here. You said that you were sure Gaster would let her have a room on the other end of the house; so she wouldn't hear _‘anything spicy’_ anyway. 

After giggling and giving you plenty of happy twirling hugs, the two of you started talking about what you had decided to do about school. You could tell she was equally worried about you telling your parents, but she tried to hide it as best as she could. Adelya reminded you that whatever happens, she was always going to be there for you. You gave her a big hug and assured her she was all you would ever need anyway.

The two of you spend a few minutes chasing each other around the huge mansion like a couple of kids. You really can't help but do those kinds of things when you’ve lived in the _opposite of mansions_ your whole lives. When it was 4:00pm, Adelya apologized again for the shirt she picked out and the two of you headed out to the creek. She said that she would’ve switched shirts with you, but her outfit didn't cover up your shoulder any better. You said it was fine, and that you probably wouldn’t see anyone important there anyway. You asked Adelya for a second while you turned off every single light you turned on earlier; she looked at you curiously, but you told her you would explain later. Only once the two of you had left the house to head to her car, did you realize you had no way of getting back in. To your dismay when you rushed back to see if the door was still unlocked, it was not. 

“Stupid security doors!” You say in a hushed aggravation.

“It’s fine Ember, Gaster can just let you back in anyway.” She says, ushering you in the car.

You get into the passenger seat of Adelya’s car and sigh.

“He told me not to leave, though.” You hang your head in your hands and groan. He was totally not going to let you live this down.

“You're the one who wanted to go in the first place, remember? Besides, who cares? Just cause he wants you to live with him doesn't mean he controls where you go, hun.” She huffs, as she turns on the radio while she drives the 6 minutes it takes to get to the creek trail from here.

She was right, he doesn't _control_ where you go, but now that you knew _it wasn't safe_ for you to be somewhere else without him knowing, you felt bad for most likely making him worry. 

“Yeah, I know. I was hoping we could be back in the house before he got back, I just didn't want to worry him.” You say nervously.

“We're only gonna be like six minutes away from the house girl, the only reason we didn't just walk to the creek is cause I'm lazy and couldn't bear leaving my crappy car in front of such a nice house.” She laughed. “Seriously Ember, just text him where you are if you're so worried.” Adelya says as she is focused on driving.

“Alright, I guess I could do that.” You say as you scroll through the recent messages on your phone. Something told you not to tell him yet though, if you could just make sure to be back before 5:00pm then there was no need to let him know about it now, right? You would just be worrying him for no reason, so you decide against it for now.

* * *

You and Adelya do some walking and skipping stones down in the creek, you throw on the [ DocMartin’s ](https://imgur.com/a/X7QqzUU) you had left in Adelya’s back seat. Thanking yourself for once for leaving them there prior, flats were not appropriate creek shoes, the water wasn’t deep and your boots were waterproof anyway. The two of you were having a relaxing time, until Adelya got a phone call. You could only hear her side of the conversation, but she sounded stressed. She turned away from you almost trying to hide her convo as casual; but you knew something was up of course. 

“Hello? Oh hey...I’m at the creek actually. Yes I have, _no_ I’m not telling you anything right now. Look you really should _just_ -” Adelya started to say, and you were interested in who could be upsetting her, almost ready to throw hands you cut in by speaking loudly in the background.

“Who're you on the phone with? Are they being a jerk!? Give me the phone I’ll kick th-!” You were going to rant, but Adelya turned around swiftly with a look of dread on her face, shaking her head frantically. She brought up her pointer finger to motion a ‘shhh’ but by then, it was too late.

_“ _H_ ey there guys._” Said a certain skeleton from a few feet behind Adelya, and Adelya just facepalmed and gave an irritated sigh.

“Sans I told you I wasn't going to tell you anything, I shouldn't have to, and neither should she.” Adelya says, motioning to you with her head.

“Why doesn't she know how to _greet a pal?_ ” He says looking at you with a mix of rage and... _something else._

_“Ugh_ yes, hello Sans, look I know you're upset with me, I’ve been dreading this. I was _hoping_ you could just _let this whole thing go_ and this wouldn't even have to happen, but I see now that's not possible.” You huff. Adelya pinches the bridge of her nose and takes a deep breath.

_“Ember,_ you're not making this any easier for me. And you too Sans, don’t pull this cryptic judgmental BS on us. I understand you both have something to say but first stop acting like middle schoolers and be patient while I have _my_ say.” Adelya starts.

You and Sans look at Adelya slightly shocked, but she had been the mediator between you two and you both knew it was only respectful to keep quiet and let her say what she needed to first.

“Sans, I’ve told you before, Ember has made her choice to be with Gaster, and you have to respect that choice whether you want to or not. Just because you don’t _like_ something or someone doesn't mean you have the right to exert control over them.” Adelya starts, you realized now would be a good time to quickly text Gaster, you felt this might take a while longer then you wanted it to. So while Adelya was justifiably berating Sans, you quickly move to unlock your phone and send a quick text message to the ‘number’ (really just a bunch of symbols) that sent you the ‘413’ text last night. 

_\-- I’m @ the creek with Adelya right now, Sans crashed the party, I may take longer than I thought to get home--_

You had just enough time to type and send that message, before Adelya noticed and snapped at you for it. You really hope that message actually gets to Gaster.

“Ember, you are my friend, but _stop fucking texting_ and listen to me. Look, I say this with the utmost care for your wellbeing. Stop making things worse with sass, there’s a time and place for it and now is not it. Now I want you _both_ to apologize to each other and just forget this entire argument.” 

You sigh, dropping the sass you didn't realize had snaked into your vocal tone, you took a deep breath before beginning your apology.

“Look, she's right Sans. I’m really sorry for everything...I’m sorry I didn't tell you earlier that I…” You cut your sentence off, you weren't supposed to talk about the deal with anyone but Gaster and Adelya, so you chose to say your other reason. “...that I _had feelings_ for someone else, but there is no reason we have to avoid each other so, could we just forget this and be friends?” You say sincerely. The skeleton further down the creek, did not seem to believe that sincerity of yours however.

“Oh you _have feelings_ for him huh? That's funny, didn't know that's what they’re calling being an escort for someone now-a-days.” He said with a bitter bite in his tone.

“Oh, _**hell** no_, did you just fucking _slut shame **ME**!??”_ You’re fuming as you spit just as viciously back at Sans.

“Wouldn't have to shame you if you weren't _being one_.” Sans says, and you both take a step closer to each other, still a few meters lengths away in the shallow waters of the creek.

“You have _GOT_ to be _KIDDING_ me. So its only okay if _YOU_ are the one fucking me is that it!? Well then, FUCK you Sans, I’m aloud to fuck whoever I want WHENEVER I want, and you don't have a say in that! _You don't own me!_ ” You tear into him verbally, you can't believe you ever thought he would be a stress reliever.

“Oh, don't worry Ember, he made sure to tell me that _he is the one who owns you._ I’m also sure he's _poisoning your mind and fucking with your free will too."_ Sans says with black sockets devoid of the pinpricks of lights they usually held. 

You had no idea if Gaster somehow told Sans about your deal, but the very idea of Gaster openly gloating about that didn't seem likely. Especially since he was the one who was so adamant about keeping things secret in the first place. Gaster wouldn't have claimed he owns you openly like that, Sans was just being an ass. Also, what was he even talking about with the _‘fucking with your free will’_ comment? So you ask.

“W-What are you even **_talking_ ** about right now!? You're seriously out of it Sans, I’m just trying to not let the whole school know I'm with Gaster okay? So just do everyone a favor and keep your smart-ass mouth shut for once!” You say splashing your foot down into the shallow water.

“I don’t need to hear this from someone who _doesn't even know_ the shit Gaster has done. You’re gonna get hurt by him ya know, you don't even know the things he is capable of...and the second he makes your soul dim, you’re gunna fuckin disappear.” Sans says with a forked tongue. 

“Oh so you **_do_ ** know about the betrayal lines, well then! _I don’t fucking care_ what he has done in the past Sans, because he's had plenty of chances and _he hasn't done anything to me I didn't want him to!_ It's not **his** fault you can't see how great he actually is cause you’re so busy being an abusive prick who's the **real** problem here!” You spit back with twice the venom.

It was then that Adelya and her extensive patience were no longer just wearing thin, they had been worn out completely, so she finally cut in, having heard enough from the both of you at that point.

“Alright both of you that’s it!” Adelya throws her arms down to her side, both hands clenched in fists, showing her growing irritation as she continues.

“Sans you have absolutely _no say_ in who Ember chooses to spend her nights with, you are being incredibly hypocritical yourself considering how quickly you wanted to flirt with her at that mixer party.” She takes a deep breath before continuing on. 

“You don’t hear us calling you a fuckboy now do you!?” Adelya says, throwing up her arms before dropping them again. She turns to you exhaustion in her eyes, and you give her an apologetic look, you and her both knew you never meant it to get this bad. You also knew you totally deserved the criticism she was going to give you next. 

“And you, Ember I’m really disappointed in you, I know you are all fire and flames but that means you especially should know you can’t fight fire with fire here. This isn’t the controlled burn I knew you for, this is a raging wildfire with no concern for who gets caught up in it.” Adelya sighs a deep sigh as she relaxes her tone. 

“Both of you are fighting over who knows best here, yet neither of you are willing to take the others point of view into consideration. And what about Gaster? Sans, you call him a horrible person, and Ember, you say he is misunderstood. But shouldn’t **_he_ ** have a say in the conversation over what kind of person he is?” Adelya says, finally taking a breath. She looks at the two of you who have dropped your angry faces, and were looking behind her.

“What? What is it?” Adelya says, before looking down at the reflection in the creek. “Ah, well damn of course he’s here _now_.” She says, stepping to the side, dramatically motioning for the newly materialized Gaster behind her to step forward.

You laugh at the absurdity of the moment, but you were honestly just glad to have the mood changed. Adelya doesn't notice, but as Gaster walks past her to get to you, he taps her on the shoulder. You can tell he sent her a small dose of relaxation magic, because she imminently untenses her shoulders and takes a deep breath. Sans on the other hand, is still irritated, In fact, he's not saying anything. You couldn't care less about Sans right now as Gaster approached you, you felt bad for his probably Italian-leather, black dress shoes in the creek.

“Oh, so you got my text huh? I’m glad.” You give a short laugh, Gaster doesn't seem too amused though, he just looks irritated and really intense. You knew Adelya couldn't tell Gaster was acting any different, but you definitely could; and you were ensnared in every word he said next.

“Yes, _hello my dear_ , I see you chose _not to listen to me_ by leaving the house, and found yourself in an unfortunate situation.” Gaster says approaching you, you were reminded how small you were compared to him this moment, and for the first time in a very long time; you felt like a child being reprimanded. He put his arm around you and rested it on your un-injured shoulder, and despite his obvious irritation, he also gave you a small dose of his calming magic. You relaxed into his touch and were able to speak again, but Gasters gaze was still on Sans, his eyes sharp and narrow as if to warn him not to say anything. 

“Um, I think it's best If we go now Ad-” You begin to say to Adelya, before Gaster cuts you off to address her for you.

“My apologies for leaving you with _this brute_ Adelya, but I’ll be taking Ember home with me now.” Gaster says, slightly tightening his grip on your shoulder, and still holding his gaze on Sans. “She will contact you later, so why don't you go to dinner? Check your phone, you should find it enough to take this dog for a walk, it seems he needs to clear his head.” Gaster says, in a sickly polite tone, and with that, your surroundings began to fade from existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Me looked at my inbox upset there’s no comments, but also I haven’t posted any new chapters* “no chapters,😑 only comments🤣.”
> 
> -Good thing ember turned off the lights, otherwise *Gaster teleports home* WHO THE FUCK TURNED ON LIGHT MODE??😂
> 
> Also, just to clear things up incase you are still debating YES Gaster IS ACTUALLY an Incubus💕, welcome to basically everyone's worst nightmare and best possible dream.
> 
> You guys excited? Y'all aren't READY for next chapter, I'm so excited for tomorrow, see you guys back here in 24 hours 😎  
> -🔥


	8. Where Butterflies Never Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ember, your presence in this house might just be the most exciting thing to happen to it since the arrival of the furniture.” Gaster says, and you couldn't hold back your giggles.  
> _____________________________________________
> 
> He wasn't even aware his thoughts were echoing to you, he didn't know that as he was kissing you; his 'words' were causing you to fall for him just as fast as he was falling for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I made an official tumblr For this fic where you can chat with us if you want https://somewhere-between-red-and-orange.tumblr.com/
> 
> OH boy here it is HERE IS THE BIG CHAPTER oh gosh its actually happening. Y'all ready to see some spiraling Gaster? GET READY FOR A SPIN~
> 
> Also, I linked a song that inspired the smut in this fic, It is more of a setting the mood type song it makes the whole thing a million times more awesome but you reallllllyyy should listen with headphones! <3 here is the link to the song beforehand if you would rather listen to it now~<3 https://youtu.be/rzTs2ps3vbk

When your surroundings start to materialize back around you again, you notice you’re in Gaster’s [ bedroom ](https://imgur.com/a/s2O2AoQ) again. You were glad you made sure to turn off all the lights before you left, because Gaster didn't seem too happy as it is. You watched him walk over to his desk and take off his lab coat, but unlike his previous elegance, he seemed more irritated as he did so more aggressively. When he turned around again to finally speak to you, his tone was so serious, even a brave soul like yours was forced to submit. 

_“Ember_ ,” Gaster started, resting his elbow on his other arm that was tucked against his chest, he had brought up his hand to his face; a seemingly curious and irritated expression. “Tell me _why_ , with all this space” he motions around him, “did you feel it necessary to _leave_ , when I had _specifically asked you not to?”_ He hadn't made eye contact with you until his last word, and if you weren't worried before, you were now. You took a small step back before responding to him, you wouldn't just stay quiet.

“I-I just wanted to get some fresh air with Adelya, I was planning to go back before you got home but then-” You started with a confident tone, despite your stutter, but Gaster had cut you off.

“Exactly, then you were faced with a shouting match with that _disappointment_ , and your mental state and soul suffered for it.” Gaster said sternly, it was probably the closest Gaster would ever get to being angry, you thought.

“Look what do you want from me? I’m sorry for leaving but I’m okay, right? So why are you so mad about this?” You ask him, you were less afraid of his serious tone and more concerned at what it could mean, _had something happened to your soul that you couldn't see?_

You saw Gaster had seemed to drop his ‘anger’ all of a sudden and straightened his posture, assuming what you said got to him, you approached him. 

“Hey, look I get it, Sans is a jerk, and I’m not as safe as I’d like to think I am.” You say as you stop in front of him, he still looks annoyed. “You’ve been really patient with me, I know you just want to keep me safe, and that you were probably worried.” You say as you slowly bring your hands up to rest on his chest again as you had done this morning. “You wanted to put that soul-tracking thing on my phone right?” You look up at him with a soft smile as you ask him, and he doesn't speak, but gives you a single curious nod. “Okay, well then you can do that, and this won't be a problem anymore, okay?” You say, and Gaster lets out a small sigh, of what you can only assume is relief at your cooperation so you won't worry him like this again. Gaster slowly brings his hands to the small of your back to move you closer to him as he finally speaks.

“I do not yet know if your soul is incredibly fragile, or incredibly strong, and I do not wish to take risks until I do.” He says, which you knew was Gasters way of saying that, yes, he was worried.

“Okay, I promise I’ll try and listen to what you need me to do from now on.” You reach your hands up to rest at his shoulders and lift your heels from the floor again. “Thanks for coming to my rescue back there.” You say with a shy smile, and you could see a faint smile on Gasters face before he leans down a bit to rest his forehead against yours.

“Of course, my flame.” He says, before the two of you lean in to kiss one another lightly. When you’ve both retreated from the kiss you take a step back as Gaster moves to sit at his fancy leather desk chair. He seemed to be pulling out a file from one of the drawers of his desk, and you can't help but giggle at a thought you had earlier. Gaster looks at you questionably as he sets a folder on his desk, so you clue him in on your amusement.

“I was just thinking how silly it is that you have so many chairs in this house, and that you've probably never had anywhere near the amount of people it would take to occupy all of them.” You say trying to be coy in implying he's definitely not the type to have a fun house party. 

“There is a reason for that.” Gaster says as he rests his elbow on his desk to lean his head elegantly against his hand, looking at you with a slightly tired expression.

“And that reason would be named Queen Toriel, she insisted I did not have enough furniture.” He says with a short sigh and you could tell he most likely had to have this conversation multiple times with the queen already, “I told her the only useful furniture for me besides bookshelves for the rest of the house would be places to sit and tables to set my wine glass on as I read.” Gaster says as he leans back in his chair. 

“Regardless of the size of this house, she still seemed to overestimate things when she furnished this place.” He says with an amused huff, and you giggled.

“You don't say?” You say with a playful smile. “Well, at least she seemed to understand your aesthetic to-a-’t’. ‘Cause I know you also wouldn't let her put anything in here that wasn't to your style.” You say in a light-hearted manner.

“Oh? What makes you think that, dear?” Gaster says with a bemused smirk of his own. You just click your tongue and shake your head.

“Gaster, you basically flipped over me drinking boxed wine, I can't imagine you would actually put up with anything you didn't approve of.” You roll your eyes playfully, and Gaster returns the sentiment.

“Do not remind me, Ember. It really is absolutely dreadful.” He says with a fake severity that just ends up earning a few giggles from you.

“Alright geez I shan't bring it up again.” you say in a mock regal voice, Gaster just shakes his head and grabs the folder from his desk again.

“Thank you, dear.” He says, as he holds out the folder for you to take, you nod and politely take the folder from him.

“Anything for you, doctor.” You say, bringing your folder up to cover the bottom half of your face in a failed attempt to hide your smile.

“Lions, Ember.” Gaster says in a warning tone, to imply his warning from yesterday.

“Right, Lions.” You say as you nod in response, bringing the folder back down regaining your composure, clearing your throat lightly; you ask him about the folder.

“So what's this for?” You question, but Gaster simply nods and gestures with his hand as if to tell you to look inside.

“Oh, okay.” You say, a curious expression on your face as you look inside the folder, Which holds a few papers. 

There were too many to look through easily while standing, so you quickly took a seat on one of the two lounge chairs also in the room. Only a few feet from Gaster, you set the folder on your lap and opened it to get a better look at the contents. Pulling out one paper at a time, they all seemed to be billing statements from the college. There were a few in your name, and a few in Adelya’s name too, it took you a second but as you fully read one you started to filter through the others quickly. 

_“Gaster..._ I knew you could have easily done this if you _wanted_...but I didn’t think...I mean, I _would have-_ ” You start before he raises a hand to politely cut you off.

_“Exactly_ , it was clear to me you would have used the funds from our deal to pay for both of your tuitions. That was an oversight on my part, _however_ that money is meant for you and your dream, dear. So, I took the liberty of taking care of that issue myself, If that's alright.” Gaster says with a formal nod, and you seriously wanted to cry _again_ but you felt like you were all out of tears at this point; all you could do was give a few breathy shocked laughs.

Inside the folders were not only papers showing that both you and Adelya’s tuitions were paid off in full, but Gaster somehow got Information on the loans the two of you had taken out for college, and he paid those off too. Adelya’s entire four year tuition was paid, and yours was paid off for the whole year. You were only able to get a loan and some financial aid for the first year anyway, and you figured Gaster was waiting for you to tell him what you wanted to do at MEU; before doing anything further. There were papers paying off your dorm contract, and there were papers paying off every single other small fee that added up between you and Adelya, everything from parking spots to meal plans. 

“It's... _more than alright_ Gaster. Seriously...I-I almost feel guilty, actually. I mean...weird soul or not; I'm not sure _any amount_ of my time is worth all this?” You admit still questioning the seemingly endless generosity Gaster has for you. 

Gaster did not agree with your comment apparently, and you figured he must have summoned a few hands without you noticing, too. You guessed this to be true because as you were still in disbelief, your chair and in extension you, were pushed a few feet forward towards Gaster. You had squeaked in surprise at the sudden movement of your chair, the folder falling closed into your lap, after a few moments you looked back up to Gaster. He had shifted his chair slightly to line up with yours so he was positioned directly in front of you, his face was serious but you could have sworn it was also faintly concerned. 

“Ember,” Gaster starts in a soft but serious tone, he gently takes the closed folder from your lap and places it back on his desk, “I’ve told you this once before, but I believe ‘all this’ to be equal compensation for your cooperation.” He says and he moves to lean forward more, resting his left hand on the armrest of the chair you're seated at. Gaster brings his right hand to the side of your face, as he lightly runs his thumb over your cheek, “If anything I’m the guilty party for not giving you enough.” He says softer, and to you, he did sound as if he found himself genuinely guilty. You fluster over his sweet gesture.

“O-Okay, I don’t think that's true but, I’ll try my best to accept that; it's the least I can do.” You say as you bring your hand to gently touch the one Gaster was caressing you with, smiling softly as you lean into his touch. He gives a gentle understanding nod, and when you bring your arm down; Gaster also moves his hand back to his side, sitting up in his chair.

“That said dear, if you require anything else, you need only ask me.” He says, and you nod back to him with an understanding smile.

“Now, while we are on the subject of school, have you decided what it is you would like to do about your current classes?” Gaster asks, and as you move to sit up better in your seat, you tuck your legs underneath you as you start to answer his question.

“Yeah actually, so first I think it's important I focus on singing, obviously. So I think I should drop out of my other courses for this semester to do that.” You say as you assure yourself with a nod.

“Other?” Gaster asks with a smirk, of course he knew what you meant, he just wanted you to say it. You click your tongue knowingly,

“Of course I’m not going to drop out of _your_ class,” You playfully roll your eyes. “Since I’m pretty sure understanding my soul better couldn't hurt.” You say matter-of-factly.

“You’re not _obligated_ to do so, dear. I could always tell you everything you would want to know here at home.” He says still amused with taunting you. He just wants to hear you say what you knew was at least partly the truth, you still want to watch him at work.

“Yeah, but that's not as fun. Less opportunity to tease you.” You say your smile smug and for the first time, you seemed to get a slightly shocked reaction from Gaster. It only lasted a moment, and it did not make reasonable sense to assume this, but it was almost as if Gaster did not think of that as a possibility. His demeanor changed into a more refined and devious one,

“For each time you chose to attempt to shake my composure, I will return the sentiment multiplied by ten once we return home, dear.” Gaster says, his sharp eyes convince you he is serious, but you still feel the need to ask.

“Is that a threat or a promise?” You say as you lean forward teasingly in your chair with your elbows resting on your knees and your hands placed under your chin in a mock innocence.

“It’s a promise I’m willing to keep, Ember. So, I advise you not to start something that _I won't let you finish_.” Gaster says a low growl in his last few words, and you fully understood his double entendre. Your smile turns into a playfully stubborn frown as you cross your arms leaning back in your chair again.

“Fine, I get it. I really don't want to die from being horny, thanks.” You sigh with a faint pout, shaking your head you switch your expression to smile again before continuing. “I’ll be good, but I'm still staying in your class.” You insist, and Gaster gives a nod, rightfully still suspicious if you would truly behave.

“Anyway, I figured I would change my major to music performance and sign up for some music writing and producing classes next semester. So I-” You started to explain once more, but as always, Gaster cut you off. 

“That will not be necessary.” He says simply, and when he said nothing more, you of course replied confused.

“Not necessary? What do you mean?” You ask him, concerned laced within your voice.

“To put it simply Ember, _I mean no.”_ Gaster says and your concern turns into irritation, as you continue listening.

“I regrettably have necessary obligations as a professor here. It would be counterproductive if you also had obligations. On top of the fact that an uncontrolled environment could increase variables that could tip the scale, and negatively affect your soul.” He says as he organizes a few things back into his desk.

“Not to mention also in an environment that I cannot fully record proper observations of, dear.” He says looking back to you.

“Gaster, that's _ridiculous_ I’m not just gonna stay in this house and be lazy and do nothing!” You say raising your voice slightly as you let out your frustration, today has been a fucking rollercoaster. 

“Having the funds for my dream doesn't just _guarantee_ I’ll be successful, I have to work hard too. _At the very least_ I have to take a few classes on campus a semester. _I promise to go straight home afterwards.”_ You say with plenty of sarcasm, as you cross your arms you grumble as you think about how you felt like a child having to say that to him. Gaster looks irritated, and you remember how you're being a total jerk right now to someone who has been insanely generous to you.

“Sorry, I just...maybe I can sign up for other classes online if I have to but...” You huff, you know you're soul is in a dangerous state but you felt fine and the campus wasn't far. Gaster would likely be there anyway, _and_ he would have your phone to track your souls signal too.

_“Ember,”_ Gaster starts, but you wouldn't look at him, both irritated and embarrassed. He moves to lightly grip your chin, coaxing you to turn your attention to him as he does to try and rationalize with you. 

“Can you _promise_ me that you will not become stressed or upset in any way?” He says softly you huff and almost replied back but Gaster was quicker. 

“Am I to assume you’re now able to control the vastly extensive collection of betrayal lines, _that you yourself have seen_ , within your soul?” He asks rhetorically, but you answer anyway.

“No.” You say deflated as you release your breath that you held from your irritation, but you still refuse to look him in the eye.

“Then is it that you’ve suddenly learned how to pull yourself out of the void?” Gaster asks and you finally look him in the eyes giving him a defeated look.

“No.” You say, you're just irritated he was right, but as you move to gently pull away from Gasters hold, he lets you as you continue to lament.

“I’m sorry... I get it, It's just that what's even the difference? I got all stressed earlier this morning and I was here. How does me being here help, how is it any different?” You said, and as you did you started to remember how you would get exhausted when you sang and you begin to panic again.

“When exactly was this dear?” Gaster asks, content with you at least partiality admitting to the severity of your soul’s condition.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about this, see it happened this morning while I was making breakfast.” You say sitting up to show the importance of what you wanted to ask him, momentarily putting your other questions to the side. 

“I was singing, and thinking about how stressful it would be to tell…” you trail off not wanting to get into the topic of your judgy parents right now, and end up freaking yourself out more, “....well it doesn’t matter _why_ but I was just feeling stressed. Then as I continued to sing, I started to feel this humming-bass feeling in my chest, and then exhaustion.” You say to Gaster who is listening intently as he looks at both you and your soul as you explain.

“This isn't the first time this has happened either, but it only happens when I sing, and I’m stressed out. It doesn't happen every time I sing, it only happens when I'm _stressed_ and singing.” You say, and Gaster responds calmly.

“I’m completely aware of what's happening, and I will _eventually_ explain things to you of course. I am curious as to what _your_ thoughts are on why this is happening to you,” Gaster says with a hesitation you don’t think he realizes you can see, as he continues. 

“I’d rather not go searching your mind for them so, if you would humor me, dear.” He says as he motions with his hand for you to speak and answer his question.

“Oh...well...okay, um I’m not _sure_ , but... I was thinking that maybe the betrayal lines are taking advantage of my momentary stress?” You look at Gaster for confirmation on if you were on the right track, but he keeps his same expression, so you continue.

“I thought they may be just like draining my energy? Or maybe like, working against me, when I’m doing something that is a culmination of my hopes and dreams; while I’m also thinking of my worries and fears at the same time..?” You ramble as you tell Gaster, hesitantly. This almost feels like being back in therapy again and you just feel silly, because for all you know, everything you're saying was completely wrong. Gaster gives you one of his rare more-noticeable amused smiles, before responding.

“From what you have told me, you seem to have been thinking a lot about this.” Gaster says, and you nod with more confidence then you had just spoken to him with, he continues. 

“The reason for your physical exhaustion when singing is due to soul burnout, dear. Otherwise known as soul exhaustion, and for you it can be fatal.” Gaster says casually. 

“W-What? _Fatal!?_ Am I going to die if I'm-?” You reasonably start to freak out before Gaster quickly and smoothly reaches out to touch your arm. You took a deep breath as he administered his relaxation magic to you, you still wanted to freak out, but his magic wouldn't let you; Gaster took this moment to continue talking.

“Dopamine provided by repeatedly filling your desires can trigger soul exhaustion, your betrayal lines amplify this. Your negative emotions may be amplified, but so would your positive ones; though you may not notice those as much. You're expending a large amount of energy through your soul because of it. Normally fulfilling a desire that may cause you distress isn't a consistent variable, but it is different in a situation such as this. Singing is a prolonged action that takes energy of both body and soul, suffice to say; as long as you are not stressed while doing so, singing is perfectly safe.” Gaster says, clearly and calmly as you still feel the need to freak out, his hand stays lightly on the side of your arm; and you're able to stay calm to ask more questions.

“How, am I supposed to sing without feeling any stress at all?” You ask looking up at him, you may be calm, but a tear still slips past as you blink and trails down your cheek. Gaster moves his hand from your arm, to the side of your face again moving his thumb to gently brush away your panicked tears before answering you.

“If you practice singing in my presence dear, I can keep you calm; or block any negative thoughts you might have.” Gaster says softly. “Once we find a way to remove your betrayal lines, then it will no longer be an issue.” He assures you, but you were still worried.

“Thank you, b-but couldn't that take years? I don't want to force you to listen to me practice all the time…and what about performing live? Isn't there any way you could help me stay calm without being right next to me?” You ask, his solution is only a band-aid fix, and you would feel awful to take up all of Gaster’s free time. Gaster seems to be holding back his answer, before finally giving you an obviously revised version of it.

“To be completely honest with you dear, yes there is one way to do so, by connecting my magic to you. However, that is...not something you want.” Gaster says, as he gently removes his hand from your face and you can tell he's holding back saying more, and for once you quickly figure out what he was talking about. 

_“Oh.”_ You say a bit embarrassed. The only way for him to keep you calm while not physically being with you, was to share his magic, and that would mean you’d have to soul bond with him.

You knew in order for that to happen, you would both have to have a strong romantic attraction to each other anyway. Sure you admit you’ve thought about a scenario where Gaster wants that from you, and _sure_ that scenario makes you really happy, and _sure_ _ever since that kiss_ before the confrontation you _could feel yourself falling_ for-. You had to stop, no matter what you can't let _that_ happen again. Plus no matter how strictly-beneficial for you it may be, it would only benefit you, and you couldn't just _ask him to bond with you._ It’s only been a little over a week, the idea was as ridiculous as getting married to someone you just met, and you were a grown and rational woman; not a naïve Anna from the first frozen movie. Gaster doesn't want that from you, and you couldn't burden him with something as serious as a soul bond.

You also knew that breaking a soul bond had a chance of killing the monster, usually because that monster's hopes and dreams would be crushed; either by the death of their partner or by their partner wanting to break it. You knew Gaster was strong, and you knew it wouldn't bother him to break the bond once your betrayal lines were gone. Besides, Gaster wouldn't have any reason to continue with being bonded to you afterwards, right? You knew you wouldn't always need his assistance, this problem only happened when you were singing while stressed after all. The possible risk of death however, was enough to freak you out plenty, and you don't think you would ever feel safe enough to be able to sing alone now, not until you got rid of your betrayal lines. 

“I-I guess I could work on everything I could possibly accomplish from home, for now. I’ll just wait to practice once you have the time to help...if that's okay.” You say, fiddling with the ends of your hair, again avoiding eye contact with Gaster sheepishly. You realize now how focusing on cooperating so he could find a cure, was just as important as working towards your dream, if not more so.

Gaster could tell you completely understood the severity of things now, but even so you felt like he gave you a few moments more than necessary, as if he was expecting you to say something else before he replied.

“Yes dear, that would be fine.” He says in a soft reassuring tone “I do not understand why you believe you would be inconveniencing me though, I actually rather enjoy your singing, Ember.” Gaster says a calm expression on his face.

“Really? You’ve only heard me sing like a bit at the creek once though, right?” You say questioning whether Gaster had heard you sing enough to give a fair assessment. 

“You’ve sang for me in other ways, my flame.” Gaster says with a smirk, and while you're busy flustering over his comment, Gaster has a summoned hand bring him his phone. “You are right though, I can get a better idea of your singing however,” Gaster starts to say as he moves to open something on his phone. “While I'm checking the footage from this morning.” He says, and smirks as he watches you peak over his phone to see what looks like live footage of the kitchen.

“What? _Footage? Nooooo_ please tell me you're joking for like, the first time ever.” You say bringing the palm of your hand to your forehead and letting out a groan of embarrassment. “Where are the _rest_ of the cameras then?” You ask Gaster, knowing full well he did not only have one in the kitchen.

“There are special dimensional surveillance cameras everywhere but the bathrooms, darling.” Gaster says flatly as he appears to be rewinding footage from today.

_"Whhhhhyyyyyy?”_ You whine in response, you didn't really care about the cameras honestly; you’ve learned by now that anything Gaster does that seems weird, was always justified, you’re just asking for clarification from him at this point.

“So If anything detrimental happens to your soul, like what happened this morning, I may review the footage if needed to better understand what happened. It can not only record imagery of the physical world, but that of your soul too. This is why it's important for you to stay here, Ember. If another betrayal line appears on your soul, or anything else notable happens, I can see what you were doing that could have caused it. Which is imperative in the process of gathering the necessary data to find a cure for you, painlessly that is.”

“Seriously? You could have just told me that earlier,” you give him an amused huff, but Gaster just raises a brow.

“Why dear, do something today you don't want me to see?” He says with a smirk

_“Ugh,_ you totally saw me and Adelya running around huh?” You sigh, the first time you've played tag in probably a decade and he's got video evidence.

“Nothing is broken, and you and your soul seemed to enjoy the exercise. I honestly don't see why that flusters you, dear.” He says, still looking at his phone screen, but failing to hide his obvious amusement.

“It flusters me cause _you're totally giving me your version of laughing at me right now.”_ You lament as you hide your flushed face in your hands, but you can't help but giggle too. Giving a sigh, you drop one hand to your side, moving the other to lightly comb through your hair. “So, ya find me singing yet?” You ask, and Gaster nods.

“Your soul reacted just as I expected, the audio quality is lacking however dear, I will need you to personally provide me with an example.” Gaster says, locking the screen on his phone and setting it beside him.

“Okay sure.” you say simply, but still nervous to sing, let alone to do so in front of just Gaster. He gets up from his seat, and takes a slow step forward, signaling he wants you to follow. You get up and do just that, as you follow behind him out of the room to the sitting area that was just outside the bedroom, Gaster continues to speak.

“I find it interesting that after using so much energy you still took the time to clean up.” He says, with a hit of amusement that was poorly hidden by an impressed tone. You playfully roll your eyes at his comment.

“As much as you want me to be lazy at your beck and call; I could never possibly be a slob in this place.” You huff “You somehow keep this place so immaculate that a single pencil on the counter would stick out like a sore thumb.” you giggle, because that was absolutely true, you know Gaster wasn't the type to be messy. That said, you don't really know _how_ Gaster keeps this place so clean and dust-free by himself, normally someone with a place this large would have a cleaning service take care of it. You highly doubt Gaster would bother with that kind of thing though.

You continue to follow behind Gaster as the two of you reach the stairs, he moves to take the first step, before stopping and turning around.

“Ember, your presence in this house might just be the most exciting thing to happen to it since the arrival of the furniture.” Gaster says, and you couldn't hold back your giggles.

“Okay so _now_ you’re making jokes.” You smile at him, you can't even tell if he meant to say you were as ridiculous as the crazy amount of ‘sitting furniture’ or if you were actually the first interesting thing to be here, but you took it as a complement nonetheless. “Also, Gaster,” You start, looking down and the dark staircase “Can I turn on the lights? I'm totally going to trip and fall down the stairs if I don't.” You admit, but Gaster just moves his hands to your waist and holds you tight against him your surroundings shift from the top of the stairwell, to that of the kitchen downstairs.

* * *

Gaster had rejected the actions of his kind for his entire life in the underground, especially during his time working as the royal scientist. He prided himself in knowing he’d done plenty of good for monsters in his profession although Gaster believed he hadn't truly done enough. The King knew he was dependable and different from others like him, so Asgore had agreed to keep his monster type a secret when they came to the surface. The king had also ordered the other few monsters who knew about Gaster, to not reveal his monster type either. King Asgore knew that an undeserved bad reputation would only move to hinder Gaster’s ability to help humans; and in extension all monsters' ability to be helpful to all of humanity.

When Frisk pulled him free from the void, Gaster had agreed to work towards doing good for humankind. They had convinced him to do so, while simultaneously becoming the first human ever to earn Gaster’s respect. The complete list of which, he could still count on one palm-less hand. While he worked to help humans, he had continued to hide his true nature. He blocked most of his abilities behind many locks and chains, and he never even considered the possibility of getting obsessed over any soul. No amount of doctorate degrees could have prepared him for realizing that, all this time, he was already doing exactly that with you.

When Gaster moved through the passages of the void on his way to the creek, he saw the guiding light of your soul, and appeared just a few feet behind you on the bank of the creek. He hid himself a few meters back behind a large tree. Gaster would rather hear a bit of what was going on, before he announced his arrival; he could easily hide from Sans behind the light of your soul. Even with your betrayal lines, your soul was still bright enough to hide his presence from the already distracted Sans.

Speaking of which, it sounds like the previously mentioned skeleton brute was close to spewing more than he was prepared to face the consequences of.   
  


_“I don’t need to hear this from someone who doesn't even know the shit Gaster has done. You’re gonna get hurt by him ya know, you don't even know the things he is capable of...and the second he makes your soul dim, you’re gunna fuckin disappear.”_ Sans said as he responded to you, and something in him felt like it cracked. 

With his back against the large tree as he listened in to the argument, and with the ‘palm’ of his hand against the tree behind him as well, he unsheathed his claws, and began digging them into the bark of the tree. This shocked him of course, because this wasn't a calculated reaction, it was a seemingly involuntary one. He was about to intervene, but then you went and defended him.

“Oh so you **_do_ **know about the betrayal lines, well then! _I don’t fucking care_ what he has done in the past Sans, because he's had plenty of chances and _he hasn't done anything to me I didn't want him to!_ It's not **his** fault you can't see how great he actually is cause you’re so busy being an abusive prick who's the **real** problem here!” Gaster heard you say, and it gave him a rush of dopamine to hear you declare your trust for him.

Gaster wasn't sure he’d be able to stop himself when it finally came time for you to leave him; he wasn't sure if he could stop himself from making you stay. However, Gaster understood that whether he wanted to admit it or not; he had already chosen you as his obsession. It was for this reason, that Gaster was concerned with what may happen if he allowed himself to continue drowning in his cravings with you. There was a chance, he could create an overwhelming and dangerous level of attachment to you; the likes of which would dissolve his self control entirely and could only be rivaled by another incubus. Of course, Gaster had an extremely high level of self control; but even so, he never actually knew what it would take to make him truly snap.

The growing intensity of his instincts had already started to make it difficult for Gaster not to have violent or murderous thoughts, when faced with any potential threat or competition that could take you away from him. This also made for a whole other recipe for disaster if he didn’t keep control of himself, because Gaster was a particularly powerful monster, considering the additional battle magics he personally possessed. If he did lose control, and was faced with a threat, he knew it was highly likely that he’d revert to the violent tendencies that were just beneath his skin. Sans incredibly irritating constant pursuit of you was making his patience wear thin and just as Adelya had the final say, insisting Gaster should be here for this debate; Gaster couldn't agree more.

While reprimanding you, he made sure to mention out loud that you had disobeyed his request; further proving he was not messing with your free will to Sans. That didn't stop Sans from silently arguing with him, though.

_(“She’s going to find out what you are, and I'm going to make sure of it. She deserves to know so she can actually make a fair choice.”)_ The skeleton says In his own mind, knowing full well Gaster was reading his mind.

_(“A fair choice has been made, you’re simply upset she did not make the choice **you** hoped for, failure. Why don't you run off and get intoxicated some more, you pathetic lazy excuse for one of my creations.”)_ Gaster says with disgust in his echo.

_(“The only pathetic thing about me is that you made me from your own repulsive hands, I’m glad you're truly the only one of your kind left. You’re a plague for monsters and human kind, and the second you slip I **will** make sure to tell her and she’ll come running back to me.”) _ Sans insists.

_(“If you make the fatal mistake of telling her my true abilities, you will face more repercussions then from just the king.”)_ Gaster warns.

_("If you want to settle this with a fight, then let's fight and get this over with.”)_ Sans challenges.

_("That wasn't my idea of repercussions, but If you would like me to eliminate you, I will do so. Right after I instruct my blasters to rid the surface of your brother, so his dust can be the turf of our battlefield.”)_ Gaster says with a chilling severity. 

Finally, the _reckless brute_ of a skeleton had no thoughts left. So, with a single touch of his own phone in his pocket, Gaster sent the signal to transfer over 300$ to Adelya’s bank account; and he left with you to return home.

Honestly the whole moment was a bit hard to recall for Gaster afterwards, when you brought to his attention his out of place irritation; he was able to snap out of it. His rationality returned when you kissed him, and Gaster found it ironic you were the one calming him down for a change. 

It made him feel a weird warmth once you had been happy about him taking care of you and your friends debts, but the warmth switched to concern in him as you said you were not worthy of such small acts of care from him. He told you of how it was nothing in exchange for practically all of your freedom for the next four years. It took an oddly large amount of energy to tell himself he did not need more from you.

You were a vixen, as he already knew you would want to stay in his class; but with the recent development that you have an effect on him, Gaster worried for his ability to keep his composure. Then as he had also expected, you still wanted to take classes; he of course reminded you how you could never be out of his sight. Gaster told himself that was necessary, it was for your safety, and no other reason of course. When you informed him of your singing causing soul burnout as he already knew, he confirmed to you that some of your guesses were correct. 

You were experiencing soul burnout from a large amount of energy, it was enhancing your emotions, that was causing the exhaustion; and could make you pass out. If you continued doing so, it could kill you. However you would have to constantly do so for a long time for it to kill you. Also, the void wasn't taking advantage of your weakness, you had been taking advantage of the endless energy of the void. It was your bright powerful soul was unknowingly harnessing that power. Of course, he couldn't let you know that, the second he did he believed it would only take you a few months to focus on controlling the hum of the void that caused the exhaustion in both your body and soul. 

This wouldn't stop the betrayal lines from swallowing you whole the second your soul dimmed, however. It _would_ stop your mental state of trying to run or stop the sensation. The second you accept it and stop running from it, your bravery would easily start controlling the lines instead of the other way around. The more you used the void, the more poisoned you would become. He also considered keeping your ability to himself as necessary for that reason. Coincidentally it also convinced you to stay home, and with continued observation; Gaster could figure out how to cure you in a shorter amount of time. You were still in very real danger, the more you got upset, the more the betrayal lines would take over. 

He mentioned it to you once before, that he could teach you how to stop them from spreading, and he decided your first lesson was to remind you of how in very real danger you still are. No matter if you could control the void in your soul, the more betrayal lines you had, the higher chance of you disappearing if your soul ever dimmed. The more you used the void, the harder it would be for Gaster to remove them, even if he used the only known method of throwing himself into the void; and taking your betrayal lines with him. Gaster wouldn't let that happen, he wanted to stay here in your presence, and for that you _both_ needed to stay alive. So, just as you were keeping his constant surveillance of you from Adelya, he would keep this from you too. You would not believe it was for your own good if he told you, so this made things easier to...direct you in this experiment.

When you asked him if there was anyway for his magic to calm you without his presence, he couldn't stop himself. For the first time in many, many years, he truly almost spoke before carefully deciding on a proper response. Part of him wanted to trick you into bonding with him, but he also knew that wasn't possible without a strong emotional pull from you to him. He almost lost control when he confronted your soul the other night, because for just a fraction of a second, Gaster pondered the possibility of using all of his abilities at once to convince you of these emotions and bond with him. He erased the thought the second it appeared in his mind, it was too dangerous, and he could never hurt you like that; he just wanted you to want him back. Not just physically, his soul called and craved for much more from you, a powerful emotion he knew was similar but different than obsession. Gaster realized he’d been so caught up in restraining himself from doing that during the confrontation, that he didn’t notice his soul had _already bonded with you._

“To be completely honest with you dear, yes there is one way to do so, by connecting my magic to you. However, that is... not something you want.” Gaster says, and an odd heavy sensation plagued his chest, and as he removed his hand from your face, he noticed his throat felt dry, as if he had just swallowed an unpleasant pill of truth. Too caught up in his own mind, he did not bother to check yours.

Once you had finally fully submitted to the ‘truth’, Gaster had informed you of the dimensional cameras in the house. These cameras were not only convenient for his experiment, but an incredibly useful security system. If anyone dared to break in, not only would he have their faces, but exact images of their soul and Gaster could easily identify them this way. While looking for the footage of you this morning, he did see you and Adelya running around presumably playing tag as the two of you tried to avoid slipping and falling on the smooth floors. The adolescent behavior was amusing to him, something admirably innocent watching you laugh and slide around in socks, your soul was shining brighter than ever while in the company of your friend. There was something about you being this joyful that made Gaster begin to feel the emotion that was different and _more_ than obsessive, again. You could tell he saw this footage, and your face showed a light hearted expression in dismay. 

“Nothing is broken, and you and your soul seemed to enjoy the exercise. I honestly don't see why that flusters you, dear.” Gaster says, choosing to spare you his eye contact by still looking at his phone screen, but again, he truly found it endearing when you were filled with joy over simple things like this.

“It flusters me cause _you're totally giving me your version of laughing at me right now._ ” You say as you’re hiding your flushed face in your hands, Gaster takes a quick moment to steal an admired glance at you. When you moved your hand he expertly looked away, as if he never took his eyes off the screen.

Gaster offers you to sing for him personally, as much as he loves making you sing in other ways as he said, he found his attraction to you was at its peak when he listened to you sing. He was pleased to hear you accept his necessary conditions for your safety, and truly he did enjoy your singing immensely. Gaster had you follow him, he decided you could sing for him after he cooked you something to eat, since it was dinner time after all. Before he took the first step downstairs, for some reason, he found it necessary to comment on your observation of the immaculate state of his home. 

“Ember, your presence in this house might just be the most exciting thing to happen to it since the arrival of the furniture.” Gaster says, you found his comment funny, which was fair considering you both expressed the ridiculousness in the amount of places to sit in his estate. He meant it as a compliment though, the presence of your body and soul were truly the best thing to ever grace this house, and him. 

You expressed your concern in walking down the stairs in the dark, and rather turning on the dreadful lights, he held you closer than necessary and brought you and him to the kitchen.

* * *

  
  


“Um, Gaster, why are we in the kitchen?” You ask confused, you thought you were following him to one of the many lounge areas, maybe one with a sound system; so you could sing for him. 

“Just because your soul won't become exhausted with me here; doesn't mean you won't become exhausted from skipping dinner. I figured I would make you something to eat, dear. Otherwise, physical exhaustion due to your body not having enough nutrients for energy, would become a variable to render my observation faulty.” Gaster says with a smirk, and you take a step back out of Gasters hold, as he lets you. You observe him set up as a few of his summoned hands bring multiple large candles into the room, all were the same type of unscented large glass [ candles](https://imgur.com/a/Igzt9cJ). His summoned hands light all the candles, then dissipate.

“You know,” you smirk up at him, “you _can_ just say you wanted to cook for me.” You tease as you flirtatiously play with the ends of your hair. You vaguely remember him saying something similar when it came to asking questions yesterday. Gaster just huffs in amusement, honestly you don't know why he puts up with you you're so annoying, you think; but Gaster just teases you back as he walks over to the fridge.

“That's an _odd_ way of saying thank you, Ember.” Gaster says, with a fake serious tone. Well you think he’s faking it, at least. After grabbing a few things from the fridge Gaster turns around with a smug look, you just raise a brow at him. He directs multiple summoned hands to set things up for him at the stove, as well as taking the ingredients from him that he had in his hands. 

“I have seen the _extent_ of your cooking ability, and I am sure I can provide you with something _much better_.” He says rather confidently. There he goes being dramatic again, you actually find it adorable, and you smile as you answer him with plenty of sass.

“Oh gosh,” you say as you take a seat in one of the tall white chairs against the kitchen island. “You’re right, I do apologize. A lady shouldn't behave this way in the presence of _'t_ _he first royal scientist to the king_ ’” you say in a mock regal voice motioning your hand in an arch into the air for dramatic effect, now Gaster raises a brow at _you_ as you continue.

“And also, _allegedly,_ a world renowned chef with a Ph.D. in the culinary arts.” You drop your hand you had frozen in the air again for dramatic effect, you try your best to give him an unimpressed facial expression. You only succeed in laughing while he gives _you_ the unimpressed expression, you pick up a faint smile on his face while you continue to giggle.

Gaster says nothing as he slowly crosses his arms, leaning back against the fridge once it's closed again, you can hear a faint chuckle.

_“Apology accepted,_ I do appreciate you taking the time to figure out who I am, _finally._ ” He says, and you remember how embarrassed you are that you did not figure that out earlier. 

“Although, you did get _one_ fact incorrect,” Gaster moves to lightly push himself off the refrigerator to stand up straight again.

Gaster walks up to you casually, his arms still crossed. You're still trying to keep up your composure, just waiting for him to admit he’s not Gordon Ramsey, he doesn't do that, but you're still vexed at his actual response anyway.

“I _loathe_ the public too much to be a world renowned chef, dear.” Gaster summons a hand behind him to mirror your earlier sarcastic arch movement, “I have a Ph.D. in the culinary arts, for my own personal interests.” He says, your expression being light-heartedly grumpy, and his? _Absolutely thrilled_ that he could prove you wrong, _and show off_ another one of his accomplishments in such an entertaining way.

“I can never win with you, can I?” You say with a defeated frown, that just ends up turning into a shy smile. When Gaster brings his hand to touch the side of your face lightly, for a moment, the look he gave you seemed so compassionate.

“ _No,_ dear.” He says tilting his head slightly as if to feign empathy. 

_“Wow you’re such a romantic,"_ you roll your eyes, “You’re a genius _and_ you can cook, _I don't know how_ you’ve gone this long without anyone falling for you.” You say with a stubborn huff, Gaster walks over to the stove and chuckles at your comment.

“ _Bold of you to assume_ that no one has, dear.” He says, and you are totally calling his bluff on this one.

“ _Gaster…_ I don't need a PhD to tell me that you’re _full of it_ right now.” You say, of course he was attractive, there are plenty of people who would _want_ to approach him, but you doubt people have been successful. Your case was different though, he wouldn't normally entertain anyone like this, right?

Gaster seemed to be sautéing some sort of steak, he hesitated for a moment before summoning hands to continue the motions of cooking as he turned to you again. His eyes seemed to be darkened slightly with ulterior motive as he slowly looked you over. He tucks one of his arms against his chest while resting his other arm against it, he brings his hand to his face. Gaster was seemingly thinking over his response before making eye contact with you and you're a deer-in-the-headlights as he responds.

_“Fair enough_ , Ember. It seems that _only you were brave enough_ to seduce me.” Gaster says, before making a show of running the tip on his tongue over his left fang. You’re incredibly flustered by both his comment and his movements; and you felt like you wouldn't end up getting to eat dinner if you didn't try and change the subject.

“R-Right...so...what are you making?” You say, your hands resting on the countertop, you play with the ends of your sleeves on your shirt; doing your best to not continue eye contact with the lust hungry way-too-attractive monster by the stove. You can hear him chuckle, understanding he once again was the winner of that banter; even when you had correctly called him out for something. Gaster turns around to continue cooking, calmly responding back to you,

“I chose something simple that doesn't take too long to prepare, [ beef stroganoff](https://youtu.be/cs8OYby6RrA?t=429).” He says, and you totally want to argue that it's not simple or easy, but then you remember you don't want to poke the sleeping lion again. 

All it took was one thought about how you're probably being a brat right now, to switch your brain from happy and playfully stubborn, to suddenly guilty and disappointed in yourself. He had just paid for all of your and your best friends tuition. Then you fought him on putting yourself in danger by leaving the house. You had also probably made him super uncomfortable when he talked about how soul bonding was the only solution to your selfish request. He offers to spend all his free time listening to you practice so you can still follow your dream, and offers to cook you food; and you make fun of him like a jerk. You’ve done enough annoying him today, you think, and you shrink down in your chair. 

“That sounds great, thank you.” You say softly, trying your best to sound very polite but a hint of sadness hangs in your voice, and of course Gaster notices it. He has his summoned hands return to cooking as he rather quickly walks over to you, your head is down as your fiddling with your sleeves again. Gaster moves to gently hold your face with both his hands, you jolt lightly at his movements; too caught up in your spiraling mental state, to have even realized he had approached you.

_“Ember,_ I need you to look at me, _please.”_ Gaster softly asks, his tone still a serious one. You lift your head to look him in the eyes, you hadn't realized you’d started to cry until his thumb brushed away a tear streaming down your cheek. His face looked _so concerned_ , and it only made you feel _more_ like a burden to him.

_"Dear, you just gained_ **_another_ ** _line_ and I do not wish to constantly invade your privacy. _So please_ , I need you to tell me yourself; _what is wrong.”_ Gaster says, with probably the most concerned tone you’ve ever heard him use, you could hear the stove turning off behind him.

“S-Sorry, this happens...I, my brain is just... _broken_.” You say as you look away for a moment before continuing to explain. “On top of _everything else_ with my soul,” you scoff, “my brain is broken _too_...I have bipolar depression, and a _whole slew_ of other problems that just... I just get like this, okay? I don't want to make this harder for you.” You say and you're _afraid_ because you feel as if you were finally revealing something to Gaster that you should have mentioned way beforehand. You start to think that he might be angry with you for keeping this from him. “Sorry I didn't tell you…don't worry I’ll be fine _I’m okay_...” You say taking a shaky deep breath, but you fail to fool Gaster with that flimsy lie.

_“My flame_ , _please_ do not be afraid to tell me _what is wrong._ ” Gaster says, and he sounds like he's truly desperately concerned, you look back to meet Gaster’s eye contact. He leans down to be closer to you, and seems even more worried than before, he also appears to be holding back from saying something. Again, you feel guilty for making someone like Gaster worry so much like this; but you also couldn't refuse him not after he _pleaded with you_ like that. So, with tears continuing to stream down your face, you quietly start again to tell him more.

“It’s like you said before...my mental state is _all over the place_ ,” anxiety starts to flow faster through your veins as you start to ramble your next words quickly. “I’m sorry you don't deserve to have to put up with me while I’m a mess like this, you're already doing so much for me _and I just started thinking about how I'm being a huge burden when-all-you’re-trying-to-do-is-”_ You would have continued, if not for one thing.

You would have continued if not for your lips being preoccupied with Gasters as he had moved to kiss you. You had been caught off guard at first, but your tear soaked eyelashes still fluttered shut as you kissed him back; you felt your body relax as you melted into the comfort of him in this moment. This kiss from Gaster had not been filled with lust or numbing light-dizziness as they normally were, this kiss felt similar to the one you shared with him before the confrontation. 

* * *

Gaster hadn’t even begun to think of the romantic implications of bonding with you, he thought that wasn't what you wanted because ultimately, your hopes and dreams weren't with him. Sure Gaster knew _what it was_ to be romantic, the formula of words of endearment and valiant gestures, but he never genuinely understood the real motivation behind wanting to _actually do those things_ before. Even though he had no experience, Gaster had started to understand now the craving for seeing his desired soul be content. 

It had always been difficult for Gaster to see you cry, he could only just barely handle your tears of worry, or even joy. Gaster found out earlier that he could never stay upset with you for longer than a few moments; and now he realized he had little to no control in holding back his romantic desires for you either. So especially as you painfully cried and apologized in front of him; Gasters composure started to shatter. You had thought you were a _burden_ to him, that you were somehow _bothering_ _him._ When you started to unravel your self hate from your mental problems; _as if you ever could really do anything wrong,_ **he** started to panic. You trusted him, you worried about how he saw you, you even told **_him_** _not to worry_ and you somehow felt unfit to be here with him.

Gaster never wanted to be the reason you were crying or hurt, and he didn't know how else to tell you of the _physical pain_ that burned in his chest every time you insisted you were broken. Before this moment, he figured it was for the best if he resisted his urge to indulge himself in more of a romance with you. Before this moment, he could remind himself to hold back, especially since the only desire you wanted him to fulfill was that of lust; no matter how bad the aching in his chest would grow when he continued to remind himself of that fact. Before this moment, he’d never experienced being so overwhelmed with thoughts, that he could not form a sentence fast enough.

_But in this moment;_ he just wanted to tell you that you could _never_ do anything wrong to him. He wanted to tell you that you _weren't_ a burden, that you _were not broken_ and that _he_ was the one who didn't deserve _you_. Since his brain could not form the sentence he needed, he had only one idea on how to convey this to you. _So in this moment,_ before you started spiraling into hyperventilation, Gaster kissed you and cut your panicked explanation off mid-sentence. He kissed you and did so _without_ a shred of magic; and with everything else in his being tried to show you _in that moment_ all the thoughts he didn't know how to put into words. 

  
  


He wasn't even aware his thoughts were echoing to you, he didn't know that as he was kissing you; his ‘words’ were causing you to fall for him just as fast as he was falling for you.

  
  


* * *

  
  


When Gaster kissed you, you felt a blissful sense of peace cascade through your body, the real sense of peace that you had only ever felt twice. You felt this tranquility the first time he kissed you at the creek, and again when he kissed you right before the confrontation. While you are still seated in your chair, Gaster moves his right hand down to your thigh in an attempt to somehow get closer to you. That’s when you began to hear the echoes of his voice in your head.

_(“You’re_ **_not_ ** _a burden, you are a celestial brilliance. You’re_ **_not_ ** _a burden, you are everything I’ve been waiting for. You’re_ **_not_ ** _broken, you are my only dream. You're_ **_not_ ** _broken my flame,_ **_I am_** _. I think I’m...”)_

In that moment, as you listened to Gaster console you, it felt like you had finally broken open a door that had been sealed shut for a long time. For the first time in a long time, you felt as if you had jumped into an exhilarating uncertainty; and you had willingly let yourself fall through it. The butterflies in your stomach were rushing like a speeding train you couldn't stop, you couldn’t even derail it. The most curious thing to you was that right now, you had a feeling of clarity for the first time during any of this. 

You had finally admitted to yourself that you had strong feelings for Gaster. Of course you knew you’d only known him for a short time, but the heart wants what it wants; and you fell _fast._ Rationality couldn't save you now, you had shut yourself away because you knew your heart was able to get attached so easily. When rationality tries to go up against your heart once it's fallen deep, rationality looses. Not even your broken mind can stop yourself from realizing you had started to love him at some point.

You don't know _when_ exactly, but you knew you loved his cold-to-hot personality, you knew you loved his demeanor and grace just as much as you loved when he would break them for you in moments like this. You loved his intelligence, his humor and secret compassion; his willingness to share them all with you. You loved when he assured you he wanted you as much as you wanted him, you loved to make him happy, so you took the jump and let yourself fall. You had decided to trust that he felt the same as you, and you didn't even realize you had been projection echoes of all these thoughts, back to Gaster.

You moved your arms up to his shoulders, and Gaster moved his hand on your thigh to the small of your back, as the two of you deepened your kiss. He could hear the soft small moans of your desperate longing for him as you echoed your thoughts back to him. 

* * *

_(“Please, I don't want to be alone again. Please, don't leave me. Please, I can't bear my soul to be empty anymore. Please, don't let me die, save me. I trust you, I want you, because I…”)_

Neither of you can fully finish your thoughts, you’re both still worried. But you both can tell the other wants to prove they need more than _just_ this physical relationship. Neither of you know how else to do that just yet, but the both of you have a similar thought on how to start.

You can feel a rush of air and the mattress of the bed beneath you, neither you nor Gaster stop to pause your heated kissing. You can only moan as you try to pour your emotions into each movement of your lips on his. Gaster wasn't violent, or predatory, or dark in this moment, he was gentle and warm; and just as vulnerable as you. Between the two of you, only Gaster seemed to have a shred of control left, as he pulled back from the kiss and rested his forehead against yours. Both of you were panting, both of you had kept your eyes closed, focusing on just one another's warmth and emotion. 

_"Ember,"_ Gaster says in a soft whisper, as he still takes deep breaths. _“You are all I will ever need.”_ He says to you between heavy breaths, with a desperation from him that you didn't think possible.

[ He needs you, he says. You need him too. ](https://youtu.be/rzTs2ps3vbk)

_“Gaster, please I’ve just been so broken for so long...I don't want to be alone anymore.”_

The two of you begin to open up to one another, he admits his passion, you admit your pain. Gaster's self control slips once more, as the two of you meet your lips to kiss again, his movements tender and passionate. It seemed the world had slowed down, as he moved his hands from your waist up your body. Gaster's movements are soft and fluid as he helps you remove your shirt, then works to unbutton your shorts; and you move to lift your hips to help take them off. Gaster breaks the kiss for only a moment as he sits up a bit to calmly take off his sweater, then helps you fully remove your shorts. When you’re left in just your bra, Gaster looks down at your desperate still tear-stained face. This was the first time the two of you made eye contact sense your kiss in the kitchen, and as he looked at you, you could only hear the loud pulse of your heartbeat as the two of you basked in the warmth of this moment. 

His gaze wasn't fogged over with his demanding lust like you had experienced previously; because right now, he looked at you as if you were angelic. Gaster looked at you as if you really were the _only thing that would ever matter to him_ ; and you realized that this was the _first and_ _only_ time anyone had ever looked at you like this. He unbuttoned his slacks, and could only resist you for a moment before he quickly moved back down to kiss you again. Then, Gaster sweetly echoed to you in your mind once more.

_(“Ember, my eternal flame, you are the fire that has painted the skies of my sunrise and sunset. You are the color in my dreams of a world I never thought I would see.”)_ He echoes, as he kisses from your lips, down your neck. Gaster moves himself between your legs as he kisses down your chest, and he glides his hands to the small of your back as you arch up in response to his soft touch. You couldn’t speak again just yet, so you watched him trail warm kisses over your body as you echoed your thoughts back to him.

_(“I’ve only felt like this when I'm with you Gaster, I could only ever dream of comfort like this before you. Please, I want you to be a part of my dreams too.”)_ You echo back, and you can hear his breathing is just as heavy as yours, when it briefly hitches at your plea.

You can hear Gaster let out a deep breath that seemed to take all his reservations with it. He quickly moved back up to kiss your lips once more, a passionate plea for you to tell him he’s alright to continue. You move your hands around to his back as you lightly pull him closer in a silent signal for him to keep going. You can feel the head of Gasters already hard member against you, as he moves one hand to position himself at your entrance. Through his passionate kiss, he slips his tongue past your lips to meet yours as he moves to push the tip of his length into you slowly. Your moans meld into his kiss, you can feel his body shudder as he replies with a deep content one of his own. As Gaster slowly thrusts himself into you, you can tell his composure had continued to break, as he pulls away from your kiss to bury his face into your shoulder. The both of you continue to be just as out of breath as before; you feel the warmth of his breath on your neck. You know this different and new warmth was washing over the both of you, but you could also tell Gaster was still trying to hold back. You're finally able to find your voice, but can only find it in you to plead with him quietly.

_“Gaster, please- a~ah, I-I don't want this to end. I don't want to leave when this is over, I want you to stay with me.”_ You say softly, another pitiful admission of your real desire for him as you try and relax into his thrusts. Gaster lifted his head and pulled back to look you in the eye as you both unraveled; then he started to softly proclaim something you didn't realize you’d wanted to hear ever since the confrontation. 

_“Then stay with me, Ember.”_ Gaster softly asks you, as he had fully hilted his entire length into you. Gaster vocalizes a deep indulgent moan as he allows himself to drown in this feeling with you; he begins to rock his hips thrusting in and out of you as he continues.

_“Ah~n-then let this dream of ours be unified, my flame. Paint my soul with your colors, ah~h and harmonize my insanity~.”_ He says with a soft growl as he moans with each thrust into you. As you listened to his tender poetic passion, his motions were coaxing out your own cry’s as you softly repeated his name. The steady sensual tempo of his hips, matching that of your breathing. 

_“Gaster ah~...I- ahh~ah”_ Was all you could moan out, you loved him, you wanted him in more than just this way. You melted into his movements and as you did his thrusts became slightly faster paced again, just enough to match your faster breathing. Gaster continued to profess his sweet enchanting words to you, as you both had finally stopped holding back your emotions.

_“Let me bind our souls together, and say you’ll truly be mine, my love.”_ Gaster asks, as he openly admits his real desires. He was taking the first true step off the deep end, and you followed him down into this bottomless, romantic abyss. There was only one answer as to what he was asking from you, and you wanted it too; something you hadn't even admitted to yourself until just moments ago.

_“Gaster, yes I, I’ve wanted that t-too, a~ah-nh,_ “ you say through panting and moans, and as you focus on his eyes you're entranced by his expression. His eyes seem to be lost in yours as if you were the stars in the night sky. 

_“Ah~ Ye~s mhm~”_ Gaster starts to put more force into the forward movements of his hips. His body heat envelopes the two of you as he continues to make you come undone beneath him, fueled by your equal confession.

_“Let me give you all of me, Ember,”_ Gaster says, there’s a pleased growl in his moan that you can hear reverberate in his chest as he brings his right hand up to softly caress your face. He moves his hips and starts to angle his thrusts within you, you let out a cry of his name, and he touches his forehead to yours softly as he continues his movements. You continue to admit your admiration and willingness through your moans of pleasure. 

_“Ah~a I- I want you to have ah~all of m-h~! Me too, you're the only one I trust with my ah-~ah s-soul, and I’ve fallen, Gaster I n~ah~a!”_ You admit out loud as you let your heart speak without your mind holding you back. 

_“Mn~ yes my flame, my soulmate, Ah-h~ you'll be forever mhn~mine,”_ Gaster says as he brings his right hand that rested at the side of your face, down to your chest. _“as I will be forever yours." G_ aster moans with a soft but deep growl, then he leaned down to kiss you passionately once more. In your mind, you can see flashes of the confrontation, you understand he’s trying to tell you that he was going to call out your soul. 

His hips are thrusting at a tempo that brings the fire in the pit of your stomach up to spread through your whole body, and you feel that familiar magnet sensation drawing from your chest. Gaster pulls back from the kiss as he continues his movements, you were getting close to your peak. 

_“Ah~A-anh! Mhn~Gaste-r~! I’m-a-ah~ g-getting close~nh,”_ You try your best but you can't seem to be able to focus on just one thing. All at once you felt the gravity pull, your building orgasm, and the love for Gaster that pulsed through your being.

For now, you try to focus on opening your eyes, and as they flutter open; you try to steady your breathing. This time your eyes were not focused on _your_ soul, it was the sight of _Gasters_ snow-white inverted soul that you focused on. As it floated between the two of you, you could only briefly see the two black fracture lines in his soul. After that short moment Gaster had thrusted himself at an angle into you that caused you to cry out his name again. Gaster had left behind all his restraint, and the two of you felt like you were moving at a perfect rhythm, as he continued to moan his words of endearment to you.

_“Yes~nh-a~Give in to your desire for me, -mhn~.”_ Gaster moans as his thrust became more intense and erratic. _“Trust me, Ember, give me your eternity, think of **only me**.” _He pleaded, and you do as he says as you let yourself drown in him completely. With a particularly strong thrust, Gaster had sent you tipping over the edge, and your orgasm crashed over you in waves; just as you watched your two souls touch.

You had a previous idea of what pleasure was before this moment, but it was _nothing_ like what you were experiencing right now. 

You felt as if you were more than just _your_ body, you felt the pleasure of both yours _and Gasters_ body. You felt waves of ecstasy, you felt waves of peace, you felt relief of seemingly thousands of years of pain. You saw an endless black nothingness filled with radiant streams of colors that were somewhere between red and orange in hue. Every memory of cold, depressed, suicidal nights that you spent alone seemed to be warmed and comforted by every ounce of intense emotion that raced through your body and soul. The years of having to be so strong and all alone, melted. Everything about you felt like it was under the hot stream of a shower that could _actually warm the aches in your soul._

You began to feel your physical body again as Gasters lips kissed yours; and your arms held him slightly tighter against your chest. Gaster had to be the first to pull away, because you couldn't come down from your experience enough to do so yourself. As he pulled back from the kiss, he rested his forehead against yours, and the two of you tried your best to breathe for what felt like the first time ever. 

Still panting, you slowly opened your eyes, you and Gaster looked at each other as if to make sure the both of you were actually still there. Then the two of you smiled, before both of you, Gaster included, started to softly laugh. You knew Gaster had never experienced something like this, it had cracked his composure so much, he was openly laughing with you. He did his best to settle his laughter, so that he could speak calm and comforting words to you.

_"Only you_ could tame me like this,” Gaster says, a soft smile on his face. He gently brings both of his hands to your face to lightly hold you, as he guides the two of you into sharing another tender kiss. Gaster rests his forehead lightly against yours again, before promising you in a voice that was just above a whisper, _“For as long as I exist, I will belong to you, you are **my** soul’s eternal flame.” _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think its important to mention that I have Bi-polar depression, anxiety and ADHD so- I promise this is coming from a place of sincerity. I found though that lots of us are experiencing mood swings and depression during the pandemic so I figured I would make reader relatable In this way. (it also works to complement the ability's I've given my Gaster)
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, LISTEN, I know all we really care about is the food, it did not burn or go to waste okay, he turned off the stove and there gunna cook it later don't WORRY xD
> 
> bond, James bond. wrong bond? oh.
> 
> Listen, its late and I'm loopy, but boy am I SO HAPPY that the real story can start to roll! drama, violence, tears, romance, blood, sugar daddy flexing, fancy classy party's and debauchery, and soooooo much smut! 
> 
> Have you or a loved one encountered a incubus? You may be entitled to compensation.
> 
> Side effects of interesting science discovery:  
> Warning repeated extensive exposure to fucked up soul in denial may lead to love
> 
> Again official tumblr for this fic here! https://somewhere-between-red-and-orange.tumblr.com/


	9. Love Me Or Leave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You...you really are an incubus, aren’t you?” You say quietly, but Gaster doesn’t respond, his hold on you just becomes a bit tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS! okay so sorry, but there is only one chapter for this week's update, I was planning on doing some violence...but it looks like that's all going to happen in next week's chapter! Which will be after Christmas, but only by a few days, so yay violence for Christmas! (or you can consider the smut in this chapter an early holiday present) Whatever you celebrate, happy holidays to you all<3 Thank you so much for all your comments really they give me so much joy, it makes writing this so worth it. IMPORTANT: this is the song used for this chapter if you would like to listen to it beforehand https://youtu.be/0VfP8TmpeHE

When the two of you left the creek Sans almost blasted down a few trees, If not for the ever-calming Adelya who spoke words of reason to him. She calmed him down after karaoke that night too, no matter how much he tried to convince her that Gaster was awful; she had reminded him that didn’t mean he could control your choices. He knew she had been right, that he couldn't just decide who other people were allowed to trust. Sans knew Gaster wasn't going to immediately hurt you, but he hated the idea of what he was most likely doing to you that night. He tried to tell Adelya as much as he could that Gaster had ways of _convincing_ people _unfairly_ , but she took it the wrong way and Instead called him out on his jealousy. Assuring him you had pretty good judgment when it came to not putting yourself in danger, Adelya did mention however, you weren't good at guarding your heart. Sans asked her if you were good at guarding your mind, but she took that the wrong way too, saying your mind was ‘ _always guarding itself when it shouldn't’_. 

Adelya had continued to stubbornly insist she wouldn't tell Sans about you and Gasters business, she said she trusted you to make smart decisions. She reminded him that regardless of how long it took you, you _were_ going to tell him about things at karaoke that night. She fully believed you did not mean to hurt him, and said that even though you were going through a lot; you had fucked up too. Sans was informed there was no use in trying to stop you once you started anyway, Adelya just reassured him that if things were ‘really a problem’ she was confident she could convince you to see reason. He ranted that this was a disaster just waiting to happen, and that all Gaster had done in the last 15 years, was hurt people.

Frustratingly, Adelya only brought up Gaster’s medical achievements and all the good he had already done for humanity. She had insisted with equal persistence that there had to be a misunderstanding, and that you saw the best in people no matter how bad they may be. Apparently you saw the best in Sans too, but his actions and words recently had only been hurting his case. She even said that you might be able to add a new perspective, that you could be the key to helping the 15 years of arguments between himself and Gaster saying that you must have gotten to know a different side of him that Sans couldn’t see. Sans cringed at that thought, reminding her that he definitely knew more about Gaster than she did, and that there were things he wasn’t permitted to talk about. 

Sans knew better however, and informed Adelya that, until now, Gaster had never once tried to involve himself romantically with anyone, especially not with one of his _‘independent projects’_. The apparent endlessly patient Adelya, just offered up a possible reason for that too, pointing out how, if _that's true,_ then something different must be going on between you and Gaster. He wanted to agree, and say that meant something terribly dangerous could be happening, he wanted to chastise Adelya for her overly optimistic outlook; but her smile as she talked reasoning into him made it too hard to fight against it.

It was so easy for Adelya to shoot down each and every one of his worries, the ones he could vocalize anyway. Sans really didn't know what he was expecting from someone with a soul that was somewhere between sapphire and cyan, her integrity and patience rivaled his own stubborn paranoia. After the moment at the creek, Adelya finally gave Sans a chance to rant, as they talked things over he said that he could not tell her anything specific, but he _was_ able to say that Gaster was hiding a lot from you. Sans had to keep things vague, mostly because of the king, but also because of Gaster’s possibly serious threat. If Gaster had been serious, Sans couldn't knowingly risk putting Papyrus in danger. He could tell Adelya was not telling him everything she knew about you and Gaster either, but he couldn't find it in him to berate her about it. Besides, Sans figured he knew enough now anyway. Clearly, you and Gaster had a physical attraction to each other at the very least; but the possibility of you and Gaster having romantic feelings as well, was dangerous.

It was obvious to Sans that Gaster was fixated with your soul; he had confirmed that himself at his office while he had been gloating. Sans knew about Gaster being an incubus, and he knew about their obsessive tendencies; which would explain his sudden change of behavior. Gaster was clearly acting on his physical cravings like a true incubus now, and there was even a possibility he may have already bonded to you. He was worried Gaster was, or already had, messed with your free will, sure you wanted to be with him _now,_ but how much of his real magic had been used to convince you of that? Not to mention Sans remembered the carnage his kind could create, and he feared Gaster’s possible malicious reaction if you wanted to end things. 

Neither you nor Adelya knew about Gaster and his species abilities. You did not know that Gaster’s previous soul experience caused much more harm than good, he wanted to stop that ticking time bomb before he detonated himself.

So if Sans couldn’t tell you, he had to get Gaster to tell you himself. 

When Gaster first came to the surface, he’d claimed he wanted to stop anyone else from experiencing the pain of the void. So, in order to do that, he wanted to find a ‘cure’ for betrayal lines. Gaster had even come up with a theory on how to do that, saying he needed to extract and study the code samples from a soul with betrayal lines; by isolating small amounts of that code, he could reverse it to make a sort of ‘vaccine’ to prevent _and_ cure betrayal lines. However, pulling code from a soul with betrayal lines required someone who could both manipulate the void, and call out their souls. Of course, only Gaster had _both_ of these abilities. 

Gaster insisted from the beginning this ‘cure’ would only work with code samples from a _bright soul_ with betrayal lines; something that did not exist. He said that was the only possible way he could get a code sample strong enough to work with, and once he got that he could work to create the cure. Then that same modified code could be taught to monsters capable of healing magic all over the world; so that they may help humans everywhere get rid of their betrayal lines. Sans was doubtful a bright soul with betrayal lines could even _exist_ for this to work, but he wanted to believe. Sans _wanted_ to be optimistic, he _wanted_ to believe Gaster was right, and that there was a way to help humans with betrayal lines.

However, the only souls Gaster _could_ find with betrayal lines to study, were dim souls. _Because the only type of soul that_ ** _could_ **_have betrayal lines were dim._ The worst part was that confrontations for souls in that state were _extremely painful_. Sans couldn’t understand why he even attempted to test his theories on those souls, especially since Gaster himself said only a _bright_ soul with lines could make his plan work. Sans just found his experiments on dim souls cruel and pointless, it only caused pain for them and produced no viable samples. Gaster had been adamant that the dimmed soul experiments were still necessary for data, he said that it would allow him to become familiar with the codes of betrayal lines. So, when he _did_ find the anomaly of a soul that was required for his theory, he would be ‘more prepared’.

Even so, Gasters attempts at pulling betrayal line codes from his test subjects never ended well, because the participants were always terminating contracts. When Sans found out that Gaster’s subjects frequently just ended up getting _more_ betrayal lines, and that their mental health also significantly declined; that's when Sans stopped supporting his experiments. Sans never believed in hurting a few for the better of many, there was always another way, Frisk taught him that. When Sans confronted him about it, Gaster had always insisted he knew what he was doing, and that the subjects had always been willing at first, but they couldn't _‘handle the process’_ and backed out of the contract as a result. Time after time he heard of those dim souls being faced with trauma from the experiments, and the king and queen always made sure he got away with it. They believed Gaster when he said it was necessary in finding this ‘cure’ to help humans. So when the subjects inevitably backed out of the contract, they were all given hush money and were asked to sign an NDA; so they wouldn’t discuss the distress Gaster had caused them. 

Gaster's last test subject had been two years ago, and Sans wanted to think that meant he had decided to finally stop. However those hopes were crushed once Gaster got involved with you, and he told Sans about your soul. He understood now, it made disturbing sense to him as to why Gaster wanted you, but you were just at _too high of a risk_. Even if you _were_ the bright soul with betrayal lines he had needed for his ridiculous cure idea, Sans did not believe Gaster's idea could really work to produce a cure. Especially not with Gaster’s change in behavior, Sans started doubting his _real_ motives behind getting involved with you. Sans knew that the second Gaster had _threatened to kill him and papyrus_ at the creek, he was going to lose his grip on whatever morality he still had left. He had always been an ass, but he was never that violent, if he continued down this path then he may just snap. Sans knew if that happened, he’d be better off trapped in the void that he hated so much. 

After that threat at the creek it was all too obvious to Sans that Gaster was on the right track for disaster. So Sans had to interject himself between you and Gaster, before things went any further. He _couldn't tell_ anyone else that Gaster was obsessed with you, It was too risky. Sans did not feel like calling Gaster’s bluff, if he was serious about it then Sans couldn’t risk putting Papyrus in harm's way. 

Before all of this Sans did not think Gaster would ever be able to feel enough emotion to bond with anyone, but now he feared he was close to trying to do so with you. If the bond was still one-sided, Sans still had a chance to pull you away from him, Gaster would be strong enough to survive a bond break. Maybe the pain of going through that break might just be enough for Gaster to stop this obsession over finding this impossible ‘cure’ of his. Worse-case-scenario? _He forcefully convinces you to bond with him back._ The reckless intensity of Gaster, paired with him finally acting like his species for the first time in centuries, would be what would put you in danger. 

Because If you wanted to bond with Gaster, once you did, you would be beyond his help. If Gaster tried to control your free will too much, whether out of jealousy or possessiveness, you wouldn’t survive the dimming it would cause your soul. What if you ever wanted to break the bond? You would be trapped, because _you couldn't_. A human with a normal soul could survive a bond break sure, their soul would dim, but they could recover over time. You couldn't break a soul bond, even if you fully wanted to, because your soul wouldn't survive the dimming that it would cause. 

He would rather not have to physically fight Gaster for him to be honest with you and tell you about everything. He needed to get a chance to talk to you, so you could make the correct decision to stay away from him on your own; and not be trapped with a monster you knew nothing about. You weren't going to listen to him though, not after he snapped and let his jealousy get the better of him at the creek. Adelya had convinced him to go to Grillbys to talk things over after that, but she wouldn't even let him get any drink to relax. It annoyed Sans to no end, but with a clear mind, she convinced him to have a little patience.

Adelya listened to everything Sans was able to say, and she had been the only one to listen to him in years. Sans realized he really did not need the stress of losing her by listing off wild accusations about Gaster’s abilities and experiments. He needed someone to continue to listen, he needed someone to take him seriously. He wasn't just jealous, he felt he was the only one who could see why you being romantically involved with Gaster was dangerous. Gaster could end up killing you with his obsessive instincts, all while being able to justify it under the guise of wanting to find a ‘cure’ for betrayal lines, or worse; you _belonged_ to him.

So, if Sans couldn't tell you about everything, then he would have you corner Gaster to tell you himself. He was able to convince Adelya that she should talk to you, and tell you to ask Gaster about his monster type, _all_ his abilities and his previous experiments. She also said that if you did not freak out as Sans predicted, then he had to accept things and leave both of you alone. Sans agreed to her terms, he would make sure you found out about how dangerous this all could be for you, you deserved to know about what he really was, and how his experiments put plenty of people through hell. You would definitely decide to stay away from Gaster then, right?

* * *

  
  


When the two of you were able to stop kissing each other, like a couple of love-sick teenagers; it was around 10 pm and Gaster insisted you actually ate something now. You just giggled and agreed with him, he told you that he would cook and you could rest, but once you came down from your sex high, you had felt more energized then you were before. You told him you would just take a quick shower, and meet him downstairs instead, Gaster was skeptical but allowed it anyway. Neither you nor he were in any mood to refuse one another, he gently removed your shoulder bandage, the bite wound being almost completely healed, he advised you to run the water and a little soap over it lightly. He also said he didn’t know why you were healing so fast, but internally you were glad you had taken a picture of it yesterday; when the outlines of his teeth marks were still clear and prominent. 

Gaster didn't seem to pick up on your thoughts as he put his pants back on (honestly he really needed some comfortable ones to relax in) along with a black dress shirt, leaving the front unbuttoned and with the sleeves rolled up. Gaster had a summoned hand bring you a towel, and another one of his sweaters, you mentioned how you really needed to bring your clothes over here soon; but you thanked Gaster for the towel and sweater anyway. You don't remember even thinking of it, but it definitely would be a lot comfier to wear than your previous shirt, he kissed you softly on the forehead before returning to the kitchen to resume cooking. 

The master bathroom had the large tub you had been in before, but it also had a large walk-in [shower](https://imgur.com/a/ZeWy6rP) as well. You grabbed the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from the side of the tub, and stepped into the shower to turn it on. The water fell down from the ceiling above you like rain, and you realized that this, like the large bath, was also appropriate for someone as tall as Gaster. You felt way too happy at the moment to _not_ sing in the shower, you couldn’t help but sing a few lines from an [aptly named song](https://youtu.be/GS6hRZYFhx0?t=89), seeing as you were _actually in the shower_ after all. You start from the second chorus in the song,

♫~ _”You light me up inside, like the 4th of July”_ ~♫

You had your eyes closed, but you knew if they were open and you could see your soul right now; it would probably be super bright in this moment, betrayal lines or not.

♫~ _”Whenever you're around, I always seem to smile”_ ~♫

It seemed so easy to be content around Gaster, whether you were at peace and felt safe, or extremely turned on and excited in the absolute best of ways.

♫~ _”And people ask me how, well you're the reason why, I’m..”_ ~♫

When's the last time you sang in the shower while lovesick like this?

♫~ _”dancing in the mirror, and singing in the shower”_ ~♫

Who cares how long it's been? All that mattered now was that you were finally able to sing cheesy songs like this, _honestly_ for the first time in a long time.

♫~ _”La-da-dee, la-da-da, la-da-da,_

_Singing in the shower~_

_La-da-dee, la-da-da, la-da-da,_

_Singing in the shower”_ ~♫

You _do_ wonder how you're going to tell Adelya about this though, you don't think this is the kind of thing you can hide. Adelya knew you were safe right now, but when you did talk to her she was going to be concerned. You knew you weren’t just promised an easy future because you were bonded to Gaster now, _but…._

♫~ _”There ain't no guarantee, but I'll take a chance on we..._

 _baby, let's take our time.”_ ~♫

You also did not know what bonding with Gaster meant in general for your future, but you knew Gaster would explain things to you, and you were in no rush to worry over it for now. He was only going to help you with your dream, so you were willing to keep at this. You never backed down from important things in relationships anyway.

♫~ _”And when the times get rough, there ain't no givin' up..._

 _'Cause it just feels so right.”_ ~♫

Can _other_ monsters tell if you're bonded? If they can, then Sans is going to be a pain, he seemed _so fun_ before all this, what could Gaster have done to make Sans hate him _so_ much? Well, it was _obvious_ his opinion on you and Gaster wasn't going to change any time soon. So why waste the energy worrying about it?

♫~ _”Don't care what others say, If I got you, I'm straight,_

 _You bring my heart to life~ yeah~”_ ~♫

You trusted Gaster would never let you be in the dark for too long, you could always ask him to clarify anything you needed him to.

♫~ _“You light me up inside,_

_Like the 4th of July,_

_Whenever you're around,_

_I always seem to smile~”_ ~♫

You trusted he would tell you the truth, after all he said you were forever his, and he was yours, so you were confident he would always be there for you to clarify any problem that might arise.

♫~ _“And people ask me how_

_Well, you're the reason why I'm,_

_dancing in the mirror, and singing in the shower~”_ ~♫

That thought made you feel so happy, so safe, for once you felt like you weren't going to be fighting alone anymore.

♫~ _“La-da-dee, la-da-da, la-da-da_

 _Singing in the shower~”_ ~♫

It felt like Gaster was your valiant knight, who offered you his eternity to fight off the void for you. 

♫~ _“La-da-dee, la-da-da, la-da-da_

 _You got me singing in the shower~”_ ~♫

You definitely wouldn't even _be alive still_ if not for him, so you were more than happy to give him your eternity in return. As you sing you think about how Gaster was working to keep you out of the void so you could actually live out your dream. 

♫~ _“La-da-dee, la-da-da, la-da-da_

_Singing in the shower~_

_La-da-dee, la-da-da, la-da-da”_ ~♫

Only after you stepped out of the shower, did you realize that the lights had been turned off the whole time. You looked around and saw no other sources of light besides that of the fireplace that passed the archway of the bedroom, in the hall. You couldn't see _perfectly_ , however you could see just fine... _but how?_ You specifically remember the whole room being a lot darker before, even with the same amount of light; now that you had a chance to think about it. When you turned around to grab the towel you had left on the sink, you had been able to see one other source of light. It was faint, but you could _see the outline and colors_ of your soul. _‘What the hell, how?’_ You thought to yourself, but you weren't really expecting a response.

_(“Ah- I should have explained that before I went to the kitchen, sorry dear.”)_ You hear Gaster echoing in your mind.

You turn around, but he wasn't anywhere in the bedroom, or even in the hall.

_(“I'm still in the kitchen, Ember. I can explain when once you come downstairs.”)_ Gaster says, and at this point you're just laughing at all the unbelievable things you've been experiencing lately.

_(“Whatever you say, honestly just glad I’m not going crazy.”)_ You echo back, a goofy smile on your face as you dry yourself off with your towel, being careful of your shoulder. 

_(“In my opinion, all the best people are.”)_ He echoes back to you.

_(“Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.”)_ You echo, still able to convey your playful tone to him. 

Once you dried off, you grab the super-soft sweater to put on, and you allow yourself to be fully amused at how long it was this time around. You towel-dried your hair off as best as you could, and then with your ridiculous knee-length sweater dress, you headed downstairs. When you reached the bottom of the steps, you again thought about how strange it was that you didn't need to turn the lights on to do so safely this time. Shrugging it off you make your way to the kitchen, and the delicious scent of the food Gaster was cooking made your mouth water. You really were super hungry at this point, and as you turned the corner, you could see Gaster just finishing up, plating equal portions of beef stroganoff for the two of you.

_“Okay,_ I’m _not_ doubting your cooking skills anymore, that does look _a lot better_ than anything I've eaten in a really long time.” You say with a giggle as you approach Gaster, who just shakes his head with an amused smirk.

“Thank you Ember, I’m sure it _tastes_ better too.” He says, and you roll your eyes playfully, you couldn't stop smiling the whole time though. “Why don't you take a seat at the table, dear? I will bring this over for you.” Gaster says in a calm and warmly tone, giving a small dip of his head gesturing to the dining table on the right side of the kitchen.

_“Good idea,”_ you say sweetly, and try your best not to look too excited on your walk over to the table. You really have eaten _way_ too much ramen lately. When you sit down at the table, Gaster puts your plate in front of you gently, then puts his plate down on the other side of the table; directly across from you. The table was a relatively small one that could fit a max of 6 people, but it made sense, seeing as Gaster was the only one who lived here. _Speaking of which…_

“Um, so Gaster?” You start with an innocent curious tone, “have you always been able to talk to me like that from that far away?” You say, as you focus on trying to roll up the sleeves on your borrowed sweater, so as to not get them dirty, but they just kept frustratingly slipping back down. After Gaster had set his plate down, he must have noticed you struggling with the sleeves of the sweater, because walked back around to your side of the table as he responded. 

“No dear, as you have no doubt already noticed, you can also see your soul now in your reflection somewhat, yes?” Gaster said, and as he spoke to you as he helped cuff up the sleeves of your sweater, rolling them up properly so they would stay. 

“Oh, y-yes, I could…” you blush at his considerate gesture, you kinda felt like a kid, but his doting on you also made you really happy. 

“That would be an... _advantage_ of our bond, Ember.” Gaster says, pushing a strand of your still damp hair behind your ear, his hand lingering there for a moment as he admired you.

“T-thank you,” you say, looking back up to him with a soft smile, his expression looked similar to how it always had, but it seemed so much more _compassionate_ now. Gaster gave you a small nod before returning to his side of the table to sit down. “So, how far does that kind of thing work then?” You ask him, as he pours wine from the bottle he had on the table, into the glasses that had been set out for the two of you. 

“As long as we are both conscious and we are in the same dimension, you and I can communicate that way.” Gaster says, putting the cork back on the bottle and setting it aside.

“That's really...It makes me feel a lot safer, actually.” You say, and he gives a small nod in agreement. If you were ever in trouble then you could talk to him, not that he would ever let you be alone or in danger, let alone _both_. Once Gaster picks up his fork, you pick up yours, but you still wait to eat; you don't even realize you're doing this until Gaster says something. 

“Ember, why are you hesitating? Nothing appears to be wrong.” He says, referring to how you're not eating, yet you're perfectly happy at the moment. 

“Oh... _oh gosh_ , sorry.” You laugh, a little embarrassed. “I haven't sat down to eat this non-casually since the last time I was at my _parents house…_ ” you trail off, you shouldn’t have said that.

“Forgive me dear, but I still do not follow your meaning.” Gaster says, asking you again for an explanation. Well, you already started telling your story, sure it's embarrassing but might as well tell the rest.

“When I was growing up, the family rule while eating was that no one else could eat until...“ oh god you take it back you changed your mind you couldn’t do this, you try to just mumble the rest quickly. “ _untilmydadstartedeatingfirst._ ” You said, you did _not_ want to admit to Gaster that your brain subconsciously saw him as the one in charge, and wouldn't start eating until he did. 

_“Dear,”_ Gaster says, arching his brow at you, ah fuck you were going to have to repeat yourself now.

“At this point Gaster, It would be less embarrassing for you to just read my thoughts, _but basically_ , whoever is the head of the house, had to start eating before anyone else could.” You admit with a huff, wishing you would have said that normally in the first place, _now_ he was just going to make a big deal outta this for sure. 

Gaster just smirks, then moves his fork to bring a piece of his food to his mouth before making a show of taking the first bite. Meanwhile, you had a slightly grumpy expression on your face, because he was totally just making fun of you right now. Once Gaster finishes his first bite, he replies in a similarly teasing manner.

“Good to know _both of us_ agree on who is in charge then, Ember.” He chuckles, taking a sip of his wine. You sigh and click your tongue, finally moving your fork to take your first taste of your food, and you take a slightly more aggressive bite of it off your fork than necessary. You _wanted_ to retaliate, you _really_ did, but the food was _so fucking good_ all you could do was glare at him as you continued to chew. Once you had finished your first bite, you complimented his cooking, in your own way.

“You are so lucky that I’m _really_ hungry, and this is _ridiculously delicious_ ya’ smartass.” You say attempting a stern tone, but failing miserably and you continue to eat with a smile on your face. 

You can tell Gaster is pleased you like his cooking, and as the two of you eat, you're reminded of a very convenient trick.

_(“Okay, so if I can talk to you like this, I can totally talk while I eat which would make dinner parties like,_ **_super_ ** _fun.”)_ You echo, with a mischievous look on your face as you eat.

_(“And why would that be, dear?”)_ Gaster replies, with a curious look of his own.

_(“Cause we can make fun of everyone else much easier, obviously.”)_ You say taking a small sip of your wine before going back to eating.

_(“Do you make a habit of going to dinner parties with people you loathe, Ember?”)_ Gaster asks.

_(“Gaster, have you ever actually willingly gone to a dinner party, where you had the option_ **_not_ ** _to?”)_ You raise a brow with a bored look, god you _hated_ family dinner parties, someone always got into a fight.

_(“You make a fair point.”)_ Gaster says with an amused smile and a nod, he takes a sip of his wine. You briefly wonder how many terrible, monster-family reunion dinner parties he's had to go to as part of the royal family, but you had a more important question.

_(“So, Gaster...can all humans who are...with a monster, talk to each other like we can?”)_ You ask a bit shyly, it was still such a new feeling, the seemingly never-ending warmth in your soul that you felt now.

_(“No dear, that is directly a result of my abilities being connected through you. Although, there are other monsters who can see souls, and I suppose if they were matched with a human; they too would gain the ability to see their souls as you do.”)_ Gaster echoes as he takes the last bite of his meal.

_(“Oh so that explains why I could also see a lot better in the dark too, then.”)_ You say, and Gaster pauses halfway through taking a sip of his wine.

“I’m sorry dear, _what did you just say?_ ” Gaster says out loud, setting his wine glass down, he looks serious, but you were just confused. So once you finish chewing your last bite, you repeat your sentence out loud to Gaster.

_“I said_ , I can see a lot better in the dark now. I didn't even notice it until I got out of the shower, when I realized I hadn’t turned on the lights the whole time.” You said calmly, taking a sip of your wine.

_“My dear,_ If that's true, then there are _quite a few things_ I will have to inform you about.” Gaster says, a soft but serious tone, something inside you felt panicked, but it did not feel like your own emotions. Were you dissociating? Or...were you...were you feeling... _Gaster’s emotions?_

“Oh, um alright, let me just clean up-” you say as you move to get up, but before you could grab your plate to clean it, Gaster already had his summoned hands do that for you. As you watched them put both plates in the sink, Gaster grabbed the bottle of wine and his glass and stood up from the table.

“It’s alright, I’ve got it taken care of dear, come with me, you may bring your glass if you wish.” Gaster instructs you, and you give an apprehensive nod but obey nonetheless, grabbing your wine glass as you follow behind him.

The two of you went into yet another [lounge room](https://imgur.com/a/lndwDFe) on the first floor that you had not seen since you had been too preoccupied with the _other two floors_. Gaster motioned for you to sit on the couch, and you once again did as he instructed, and sat down. Once he had filled the two of your glasses again, he started to talk, Gaster may have been calm on the outside, but you could feel his anxiety inside you as he started to explain. 

* * *

His bond with you, something he _did not think possible in the first place_ , changed quite a few things. For instance, it gave Gaster a sense of security, now that you were marked as his you wanted to stay with him. That meant you would stay with him, even after you found out what he really was, or what he had done, right? You had to stay with him, you were bonded to him; _you didn't really have a say in the matter_ , he stopped that train of thought and reminded himself, _he did not want to hurt you_. That would mean he was forced to explain quite a few things to you now, he couldn't let himself be swimming in secrets, he had to tell you before _someone else_ gave you the wrong idea about things.

* * *

“Ember, _just to clarify_ , I had mentioned that you are able to share my magic, and you told me you could see better in the dark now, _correct?”_ He asks you, and you nod to confirm. 

“I see, the _problem_ with you seeing well in the dark now, is that's _not_ part of my _natural_ abilities, at least. You should only be able to share my original magic, not the abilities that I _learned during my time in the void.”_ Gaster says, and you are reasonably confused.

“What do you mean _‘time in the void’?_ I thought... no human _or_ monster could _survive_ being in the void?” You say, trying to piece things together, but none of it made sense.

“I guess It would be wise to start from the beginning.” Gaster says, and the two of you set down your wine glasses on the nearby table, and with that; he starts to explain _a whole lot._

Gaster began by telling you that during his time in the underground as the royal scientist, he had created two monsters through artificial means. He held out one of his hands, lightly touching yours, he guided your hand to touch the large hole in his palm. You never asked about them, because they were just a part of him, you did not feel that need to question them. Gaster explained the holes in his hands, along with the scars on his face and soul, were a result of creating those two monsters.

“So... _who?”_ You ask after Gaster had seemed lost in thought. Did the monsters he created even still exist?

When Gaster had told you that his experiments were _Sans and Papyrus_ , a lot of things started to make sense, and also just confuse you more.

“Why does? Well, I guess it's not really a _secret_ but, why does Sans _hate you so much?”_ When Gaster seemed to be thinking of the right thing to say, you add another question, unable to be patient enough for his reply. 

“Why does he think you're going to do terrible things to me like _‘poison my free will’?_ ” You add, quoting one of the crazy things Sans had said at the creek earlier.

“I will tell you...however, I will need you to be patient as I fully explain Ember, and I also need something much _stronger_ to drink.” Gaster finally says, and two summoned hands carrying a glass and a bottle of bourbon appear from behind you. You briefly start to wonder if there is easily accessible liquor on every floor, but you focus back on the conversation.

_“Alright_ , sure. I’ll do my best to only listen, but I don't really want my thoughts turned off right now, so I would rather you just tune me out instead okay?” You say, you had a feeling he would try to clear your mind to _help_ you from getting the wrong ideas, but you promised to hear him out fully before that happened. It seemed you were right, because Gaster gave you an understanding nod.

_“Noted._ Now, as far as Sans disdain for me, I admit it may have a lot to do with my inexperience as a _traditional_ parental figure.” Gaster says, taking a sip of his bourbon. You knew what he meant, you could not see Gaster being the conventional warm and fuzzy kind of parent, but Sans made it seem like he did much worse. You stayed silent as you continued to listen to Gaster.

“He was not happy with my... _neglect_ of his need for attention. I could not be bothered honestly, I had been working on a way for the _entire monster race_ to have electricity. I was tasked with a way to power all of the underground; as well as possibly use that power to break the barrier.” Gaster says casually taking a sip of his bourbon, but he couldn't seem to keep eye contact with you as he continued his next few sentences.

“He may have developed abandonment issues when, well I guess what happened shouldn't technically be classified as abandonment,” he pauses, and you could feel a highly pressured stress in your chest that you knew _wasn't yours._ He asked you not to talk, but if what you were feeling was a reflection of Gasters emotions, then you wanted to somehow comfort him. You slowly reach out both of your hands to gently touch the left hand Gaster had resting on the couch. The glass of bourbon he was holding in his right hand retreated from his lips as you did, he looked over at you and blinked. 

_“How?”_ Gaster says, and even though you had no idea what he was really asking you, you figured maybe he was asking you how you knew he was upset, either way he looked confused.

* * *

Gaster was mulling over how to tell you about the void, he did not want to go into too much detail. He worried you might snap like so many others had at the information; but at the same time he knew that unlike the others, you had done just fine during the confrontation. What if your soul dimmed at the news? Should he be ready to trade his life for yours already this soon? Gaster moved to take a sip of his bourbon, still trying to think, but then you had touched his hand, and he experienced a wave of calm rush over him.

_Did_ ** _you_ **_just use sensory magic on_ **him**?

For every other human/monster bond, the pair should always be able to tell the emotions and state of each other's soul; but that was supposed to be the extent of the human's ability. _Both monster and human_ had to consent their energy/magic for the other to use it. You shouldn't be able to use his sensory magic _without him knowing or allowing it_. You shouldn't be able to see better in the dark _at all_ , because those abilities were not even a part of his original biological magic; Gaster had only gained that ability after thousands of years in the void. 

Then again, you were an anomaly, prior to this, you were echoing your singing to him; you had already been harnessing the void. Before, you were like a power cord that was only halfway in an outlet, you were burning too much energy to safely use the abilities of the void before. Apparently not anymore, in this moment your soul was still perfectly calm, and you had been forcefully tapping into his magic; so did his bond with you allow you to somehow _‘plug-in’_ to the void fully? He knew _he_ could send his calming magic to _you_ without being next to you if you started to become panicked as you sang, but now this was _...entirely unexpected._ This goes beyond his understanding of any normal bond, not only were you able to channel and use his incubus abilities without his knowledge or help, _but you could also_ use the abilities he had learned in the void; _without being drained of your energy like before._

Now that _you_ had calmed _him_ down, he really only had one thing to say, at first.

_“How?”_ Gaster asked, wondering if you had known what you’d just done.

* * *

  
  


“I’ve been feeling this anxiety in my chest,” you start, putting one hand on your chest as you continued, “but it did not feel like mine, so I thought _you_ were...” you started to say; but his expression implied he was looking for a different type of answer. You had no idea what else he could be asking, though.

_“Why_ , did something happen?” You ask him, a concerned look on your face. Gaster took a deep breath before continuing to talk.

“I will share my hypothesis, but I must tell you.. _.the rest_ _first_ , before I can.” He says to you, and you give an understanding nod, and he continues to explain. 

Gaster told you that Sans most likely felt he had abandoned him and his brother when he had fallen and was pulled into the core. He told you the core had been his invention that powered all of the underground, he said he did not die as he expected, but instead was thrown into the void, where he was trapped for thousands of years. When he started to explain what it was to be in the nothingness of the void, and how he had stopped keeping track of how long he was in there after the first few hundred years; you started to cry.

“Then, when Fri-” Gaster had started, but you couldn't listen properly to him as your tears started to silently spill down your face. You couldn’t help but think over and over about how awful the torture of being trapped in that nothingness had to be, _you had seen it_ when the two of you bonded; and it was unbearable to think he had been _there_ for so long. He moved closer to you on the couch, his bourbon glass forgotten on the table. 

_“Don't..._ don't shed tears for me, my flame,” Gaster says to you, his left hand on your shoulder, his right against your face, brushing away the tears of your bleeding heart. “When you cry...there is a pain in me that I...can't really explain…” Gaster admits, and you felt so guilty. 

“ _This whole time_ , you knew exactly how awful…” you say with shaky breaths, “and I didn't take you _seriously enough_ I’m so-.” You wanted to apologize for each time you did not listen to Gaster and take the gravity of your situation seriously. Gaster wouldn't let you though, and for the first time, he had wrapped his arms around you, and pulled you tight against him giving you comfort with his embrace. You hadn't realized this was the first time Gaster had actually intended to hug you, and as he did he spoke comforting words. 

“I am here now, those moments only _lead me to you my flame,_ and If I had to…” Gaster had said softly, he pulled back slowly releasing you from his embrace, so that he could give you a gentle kiss on your forehead. “...I would do so again for you.” He said, his soft words only just barely audible, and you wiped the tears from your face the best you could, and when Gaster moved back again slightly to look you in the eyes, you responded, voice still a bit shaky.

“I’m really glad you're still here, I could see how a world without you in it would upset someone.” You said smiling sweetly, and his anxiety that bubbled in your chest seemed to calm itself more. 

“There is _another_ , more likely reason that Sans hates me, however.” Gaster says, and as you did your best to collect your composure, you gave a small nod, to signal you were still listening. 

“Do you remember, before you had asked me how a soul with betrayal lines normally responded to a confrontation?” He asked you, and you nod yet again.

You say how you remembered that he had said they mentally freak out, and the confrontation was usually very painful for them too. Gaster told you again of his wish to find a cure for betrayal lines, he wanted to spare humans from the fate of being pulled into the void. He told you that, Frisk’s unnaturally large amount of determination, was able to find the only known entrance to the void. It was somewhere lost in the underground, and they had been able to pull him free from it, he mentioned how it was extremely dangerous. Gaster said it was a one in a million chance that the door could even be found in the first place, let alone anyone having the energy to actually pull a soul from the void like Frisk had. It made painful sense now why Gaster wanted to find this cure, he did not want anyone to suffer as he had; then he started to explain his theory. 

He told you about code, how it was similar to DNA but for the soul, and that he needed the code from a soul with betrayal lines for his theorized cure. He told you that his plan needed a bright soul with betrayal lines, and that he wasn't sure you existed, but he saw the possibility of your soul arrival here twice. Once when he first fell into the void, then again when Frisk pulled him free, he explained the void showed him glimpses of a possible reality where he encountered your soul here, at this college. 

“So, you stayed at MEU for _fifteen years_ because...” you trailed off, still processing things in your mind.

“I did not want to miss the possibility of your arrival, I chose to trust that the visions the void had shown me of this reality were true; and they were.” He says calmly.

Then he told you something you already figured at that point, that he had run experiments with other souls with betrayal lines; even though their souls were not bright enough. Gaster explained it was necessary to collect as much data as he could before he encountered your soul, as well as stating _multiple times_ to you that they were strictly only test subjects. You understood why he would be worried you thought differently, but you trusted Gaster when he said you were the only one he had been involved with _in this way_. Besides, all the evidence supported that anyway, just the way he acted around the other students in the class was proof enough. He didn't even like standing too close to someone, let alone becoming acquaintances with them.

He reminded you again, that he needed to run tests on those dim souls with betrayal lines for data, you nodded in understanding; but he gave a pause. It was _almost as if_ he expected you to have a problem with that. He yet again said those with betrayal lines spiraled after their confrontations, and you started to see why he was so anxious. You understood that he feared you would be upset, he caused these people pain for the sake of preparing this ‘code’ he needed for a cure. The problem with that was, _you weren't upset at all,_ you tried to slowly explain that to him, so that he would believe you the first time. 

“Gaster, I have _one_ question.” You say calmly.

“Alright, what is your question?” Gaster says, and for the first time you find this situation odd, _he really was upset over this._

It made you happy that he cared so much about your opinion, but he obviously did not understand _just how easy_ it was for you to deal with macabre or previously unbelievable things. Especially after the week you just had, you’d learned that anything Gaster did, was for the good of others. Your morality chart wasn't _that ‘_ lawful good’ anyway, you were more of a ‘chaotic neutral’ type. 

“Did these subjects consent to the testing?” You ask simply.

“Yes, _however,_ th-” Gaster starts, and for the first time _you're_ cutting _him_ off in a serious situation like this. 

“Then I don't care.” You say as politely as you can, gently holding up a hand to signal you did not need to hear any more from him.

“Are you _choosing_ to be willfully ignorant?” Gaster asks you, his expression thoroughly confused as he tried to rationalize your reply. 

“I am not, _in fact,_ I’m smart enough to guess that those other test subjects probably went through _a lot of pain_ , Gaster. I only felt a fraction of it before, but I can imagine it really sucked for them from what you’ve told me.” You said casually, then continuing to offer your assurance to Gaster, you add “I can _also guess_ that some of them probably went insane, and not the good kind of way either.” You sigh, “When I first saw my soul, _if I wasn't already so fucked up in the head,_ it probably would have driven me crazy too.” You say with an exasperated giggle. 

The look on Gasters face was somewhere between disbelief, and relief, he seemed to prepare himself to speak, but then he just huffed out a breath. He brought a hand up to lightly cover his mouth, then he started to chuckle, which turned into actual laughter. You felt a huge wave of relief wash over you in that moment. The previous anxiety from before was replaced with sheer joy, and while you were happy he was happy, it was your turn to be shocked that he was laughing. Sure, it wasn't _normally_ like him to laugh, but you couldn't help but be thankful you were able to help your soulmate be so happy with just your indifferent response. 

“Gaster,” you say giggling, again; just happy that he was happy. “Ya know before, when I was teasing you about being a romantic?” You ask him, and Gaster was able to calm his composure again enough to focus and respond to your question.

_“Yes_ , my flame?” He answers, dropping his hand from his face, still unable to also drop his slightly-more-than-obvious smile. 

“Well, I was _so wrong_ …” You said giggling, still in shock at this new information. “Gaster you _really are_ _incredibly_ romantic, like cheesy romance movie levels of romantic.” You say with a playful smile, and Gaster, who was still smirking, gives you a playfully curious look in return, so you clarify.

“I don't think anyone else can say that their soulmate waited _fifteen years_ for them to show up at some _dreadfully boring place_ , all because there was a _small possibility_ that they actually would.” You say, and Gaster seemed just as pleased as you were at that revelation.

Although, you could tell Gaster was still questioning if you really were okay with what he had done before meeting you, and you had a good way to prove to him that you were _just fine._ You shifted from your spot on the couch, moving to get on your knees so you could almost cat-crawl; smoothly bringing one of your legs to the other side of his lap swiftly. He had been too caught up in the moment to question you straddling his lap, he only blinked a few times as he looked at you. You gently brought both of your hands up to rest on either side of his face as you spoke to assure him.

“Gaster, it's okay, _I’m okay_ , okay?” You say, as you give him a light kiss on the lips. Gaster brings his hands to your hips and kisses you back softly. When you pull back slowly, you notice Gaster has a light dusting of grey on his face, right where a _blush_ would be, normally.

“Gaster, are you _blushing?”_ You ask with a giggly smile. 

_“Lions, dear.”_ He says, seemingly warning you not to start a _‘round two’_ but you can also tell he just doesn't want to admit you totally flustered him.

_“Oh whatever_ , you're not even a lion monster.” You say crossing your arms and playfully rolling your eyes. 

Gaster moves his hands from your waist, up to your shoulders, then roughly pulls you closer down towards him. You squeak in surprise as you're quickly pulled into his tight embrace. Your arms are tucked up against your chest, your body pressed against him; your head rests against the crook of his neck. 

“Gaster what th-!” You started to say, as you attempted to wiggle free of his hold to no avail; but he cut you off with a ferocious tone in his reply. 

_“Maybe not dear,_ but what would you do if I said I was something _even more_ _dangerous_ _than a lion?”_ Gaster warns, and you can feel the growl in his voice reverberate in his chest. Your body almost instinctively relaxes into his dominant hold; but a small piece inside you could feel his anxiety build again. As he held you against his chest, you felt his breathing was uneven. _Was he worried about telling you his monster type?_ All this time you never even found it necessary enough to ask, you just figured he would tell you when he did. Now that you thought about it, you might actually have the answer to that already, considering everything you knew about Gaster; and what Sans had ranted to you about at the creek. You didn’t know _for sure_ , but when you closed your eyes and focused on your feelings for him, you felt like you had known his monster type this whole time.

_“You...you really are an incubus, aren’t you?”_ You say quietly, but Gaster doesn’t respond, his hold on you just becomes a bit tighter. You took that as a yes, you had to let him know that you would be here for him, _no matter what;_ so you tell him how you truly felt.

“ _What_ you are would not change _who_ you are, Gaster. _You didn't make me fall in love with you, I trust you.”_ You say softly, and his hold on you relaxed, but he still held his hands lightly around you in an embrace as he spoke. 

_“My flame,”_ Gaster says quietly and you're comforted by the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. “Only someone as celestial as you could fall in love with a monster as _unredeemable_ as me.” He says, with a self-hate that makes your heartbreak. 

“Well, I think you are _amazing,_ Gaster.” You say as you move to lift your head from resting on his shoulder, and Gaster lets you; you speak your next words softly as your warm breath ghosts against his neck. _“You can't convince me you're some villain I know you're not.”_ You say and you trail light butterfly kisses up Gasters neck, and he seems to relax more as you do. 

That made you happy, you just want him to feel good, you want to help him relax. You want him to know you love him, so you continue your praise and soft kisses.

_“Everything_ you’ve done so far,” you kiss his neck, your lips hovering just above his ivory skin. “Has all been to _help other people.”_ You give his smooth skin a small love bite.

_“Nh~ah,_ don’t Ember, please _your_... _mhn~”_ Gaster says moaning softly as your right hand pushes aside his unbuttoned black dress shirt so you can kiss down to his shoulder. You were happy he was enjoying this so much, you figured he was only protesting to your praise. You didn't understand _you_ had been using his aphrodisiac magic _on him_ without knowing, until he told you that is.

_“Mn~ Ember_ , _you_...you aren't properly trained to use my magic yet.” Gaster says, his breathing a little bit heavier than before.

_“I’m what?”_ You question in shock, you gently move to sit up and look Gaster in the eyes, his face had blushed a darker shade of grey. _Had_ ** _you_ **_actually just been using_ ** _his_** _magic?_

“You don’t know how to use my abilities safely,” Gaster said, his eyes were borderline lust heavy. “You're giving me _too much,_ and if you keep this up I may not be able to…” he trailed off you could see him fighting internally to keep control, he probably assumed you couldn't handle a _‘round two’._ He _assumed wrong_ though, and you were all too curious about what he would be like if he did lose control. The idea didn’t frighten you; in fact you thought it could be fun. 

“Do you _really want me to stop?”_ You say flirtatiously, as you grind your hips against his, you can feel he was already getting hard.

_“Mh~n-No dear_ , but I don’t want to _hurt_ you.” Gaster says, you can see his composure starting to melt. His sweater you were wearing was long enough for you to sit on it, but you still weren't wearing panties. You guided Gasters hands to your thighs as you continued to gently grind against his growing bulge. 

“You _won't_ , I trust you Gaster _, you deserve to relax too.”_ You say in a soft seductive tone, as you lean forward to kiss his neck again, and run your tongue lightly over his skin. As his hands moved up your legs they started hiking up the sweater as you instructed him.

“You _shouldn't_ trust me Ember, _I can't ever-”_ Gaster started to warn you, but you bit down on his shoulder around the same time as his hands got to your hips. You could feel his shiver of pleasure in response to your bite, and when he realized you weren't wearing any underwear his grip on your body tightened even more. 

_“I trust you...I love you, Gaster.”_ You say between continuing your love bites and kisses, you can tell he was getting close to letting go of his composure; and you grind down on him with more force against his erection, now fully hard. 

_“Ah~Ember please, mhn~...you couldn’t love me if I were-”_ Gaster tries to protest again, but you wouldn't let him. You focus this time, and actually try to visualize putting your lust and love for him into your lips as you kiss up his jawline.

_“Yes, I could.”_ You whisper with your lips hovering just in front of his, the two of you sharing your shallow breaths. You bring your hand up to his face, his eyes look as if he was only barely able to restrain himself, so you close the small gap between the two of you as you kiss him passionately. You focus on putting all your love and desire for him into your kiss, and you can hear the beginnings of a growl form in Gasters chest; that boils into a roar as he makes a final effort to restrain himself by turning his head away from your kiss. 

_“Ember...”_ Gaster says desperation in his voice, panting, he braces his left hand on the couch cushion. He wouldn't look at you, he tried to catch his breath as if he had just been held underwater. You then did something Gaster did to you frequently, you used a hand to gently guide his chin and attention back to you, and you could tell he couldn't resist you like this for much longer.

_“Relax Gaster, I’ll be fine, Like you told me…”_ you guided him into another tender kiss, then moved your head to nuzzle in the crook of his neck again. _“Let go of your mind.”_ You say giving his shoulder one last light kiss, you heard the fabric of the couch cushion rip, but you felt Gasters body finally relax.

_“My dear,_ you _really,_ ** _really_** shouldn't have said that.” Gaster said, his tone was dark and he paired his warning with a low chuckle.

“Gaster, _It's fine_ I’m just trying to-“ you started, but you were cut off with your yelp of surprise in response to being grabbed by the hair at the back of your head, and then being yanked back. You made eye contact with Gaster, whose tongue was impatiently grazing over his left fang; you had never seen his eyes so clouded over before. 

“Trying to _what,_ ** _slave_** _?_ _You want to help me relax?”_ Gaster says to you with a dark condescending tone. 

You gasped out in pain from his hold, but you tried your best to nod to him, his demeaning way of addressing you only excited you more. You knew he wouldn't give you any more pain than you could handle, the grip on your hair must have been a summoned hand; because both of his true hands were still on your hips. 

_“Then you’ll let me take all this stress_ ** _out on_** **_you_** _then,_ ** _won’t you?_** _”_ Gaster growls, and for a brief moment, the lights in his eyes even dimmed slightly, but you trusted him.

_“Yes.”_ You submissively mewl.

Your answer makes Gaster elicit another dark chuckle, and he moves to sit up with you still straddling his lap. He grabs the back of your neck with his right hand, and pushes you down to the left of him on the couch with force. The left side of your face landing against the seat cushion of the couch, you let out only a small squeal as Gaster simultaneously moved to position your hips up. With the side of your face pressed down on the couch and your hips positioned up, your sweater ends up slipping down your body, exposing your otherwise nude body. His summoned hand holding your hair keeps your head pinned down, you can feel both of Gaster's hands at your hips.

_“Stars what a tempting~_ **_slave_ ** _I have,”_ Gaster says leaning over you, and you can feel his erection through his pants grinding against your backside. “Let's see how loud you'll scream for me to be gentle, _before you realize I_ **_won't listen._ ** _”_ He growled as he hovered right above your ear with a breathy dark chuckle, but you stayed calm, you knew you would be okay.

_“I trust you.”_ You quietly squeak out, you remind him he could let loose, _and_ not hurt you at the same time. You couldn't see him well with him being directly over you, but you could feel him shuffling to free himself from his pants.

_“_ **_You shouldn’t._ ** _”_ He insists his tone is mostly ferocious, but you could hear in his voice and _feel in your soul_ , his trace amounts of self-hate. You wanted to help him to let those go, you weren't scared of him, no matter what he was, or how he acted; [ _you loved him and you trusted he loved you too._ ](https://youtu.be/0VfP8TmpeHE)

Gaster had his left hand tangled in your hair, replacing the summoned one that was there before, and you can feel him positioning his cock at your entrance with his right hand. You took a deep breath, just as Gaster pushed himself into you with brutal force, you tried to hold back your painful moan. You weren't going to back down, he wouldn't give you any pain that you couldn’t handle. 

_“A~hn you’re so tight, mhn your so_ ** _eager_** _~ for me to_ ** _fuck you into submission._** _”_ Gaster says with his dark sadistic moans, still burying himself inside you mercilessly. You tried to muffle your moans into the couch cushion but Gaster pulled your head back up with the hand he had gripping onto your hair. 

_“_ **_Ah!_ ** _Nh~!mh Gaster,_ **_y-yes_ ** _~!~ah!”_ You moan for him loudly, his right hand at your hip now with his full length inside you; he couldn’t scare you away. You didn't know how else to tell him you were still okay with his fierce nature. 

_“Insatiable_ **slave**. ” Gaster says again, then he moves his hips back enough, to thrust his full length back into you, his movements were harsh and strong but his precum slicking your entrance made things a bit easier. 

_“_ **_Ah-a~h!_ ** _”_ You screamed out, with your moan ending in a pitiful squeak.

_“You should be_ **_scared_ ** _of me.”_ He says, his demanding tone sending an excited shiver down your spine.

_“N-ha~ah-I-I’m_ **_not!_ ** _”_ You insist, barely able to reply between your lustful cries and moans as he starts to move his hips at a steady brutal pace. 

Gaster growls frustratedly, fucking you roughly, with each thrust he tugs more on your hair; it had started to hurt more than you would have liked. Suddenly, Gaster released his hold on your hair, backing away from looming over you, but still powerfully thrusting into you. He sat up straight, then grabbed your arms and put them behind your back. He held them together by your wrists pulling you towards him, allowing him to use more force behind each of his thrusts.

_“I can easily..._ **_change_ ** _... that.”_ He says, a forward hip movement paired with each word, the fire in your stomach roared with each of his movements. You can tell even now, when he's taking you like this on the couch, he's still trying to push you away; but you weren't scared of him. 

_“Yo-u w~ah-_ **_won’t_ ** _h-hurt m-me~!”_ You moan out, you loved him and you weren't going to leave him, and you weren't going to let him push you away either. 

The rough pace had started to get you close to your climax already, before you heard Gaster give another frustrated growl, then he pulled out of you. You gave a needy moan of protest, but you felt multiple hands roughly persuade you to flip onto your back, and once you were, Gaster leaned down over you again. The lights in his eyes were deeply darkened, you almost couldn’t see them. You could still feel his anxiety deep in your soul, so you gave him a worried look.

_“Why aren't you_ ** _afraid!?_ ** _”_ Gaster says, as he grabs your thighs with force. You yelp out a squeak as he positions himself to thrust his cock back into you, leaning in close to you and resuming his brutal pace.

_“Ah~ah~Gaster! I~I’m not I-It’s nh~ahhh okay.”_ You moan, his thrusts were getting you close to your peak again, Gasters face looked a mix of lustful, fierce, and anxious. You reach your hands up to lightly touch either side of his face, he growled and flinched as he continued his motions but he still let you. You were so close, you needed to tell him what he needed to hear.

_“Mh~n~a! I-I won’t_ **_leave_ ** _you!”_ You assure him, the anxiety left your chest at the same time the pressure in the pit of your stomach snapped free. Pulling him towards you, your lips met his as you moaned into your kiss while your second orgasm of the night crashed over you. 

Your tongue dances around his, you were riding out your orgasm but Gaster was still fucking you as if you would disappear, he breaks away from your kiss; and pulls back to look you in your eyes. 

_“Ember,”_ Gaster moans, the light in his eyes started to brighten again, and he looked completely captivated by you. That look sent another wave of pleasure through your body, the aftershocks of your orgasm caused you to tighten around him again, and it sent Gaster over the edge too.

_“Ember-ah~Nhn~!”_ Gaster moaned out to you as he came, repeating your name passionately, his erratic thrusts slowly decreasing in pace as you felt the rush of his hot black cum spilling inside you. He rested his forehead against yours as he filled you with more of his essence with each shallow thrust. You gave a content moan as he too rode out his orgasm, no matter how dangerous he could be, you would never hate this part of him. Gaster started to catch his breath and you knew what he would try to say.

_“Ember_ ...I tried to _warn_ you I-I’m-” Gaster started to apologize, but you stopped him, there was nothing to apologize for.

_“It’s alright_ Gaster, _I love all of you,_ you can’t scare me away.” You say softly panting, you bring your left hand up to lightly touch the side of his face again, his expression looked truly relaxed for the first time. Gaster brings his hand up to hold yours, and he kisses your wrist softly, then he looks back to you, still as breathless as you are; he confesses. 

_“I love you too, Ember._ You will _always_ be my soul's eternal flame.” He says with a peaceful tone, and he keeps your hand in his as he leans in to kiss you deeply once more.

* * *

It had been around 2 am when Gaster had lifted you from the couch in his arms, then teleported you to the bedroom with him. He helped the two of you clean off in the shower, then brought you back in the bed with him. The bedsheets were warm and smelled like lavender, you did not know when Gaster had the time to make the bed with fresh sheets, but you didn't really care enough to question it. As he held you close under the covers, Gaster had a summoned hand bring him his phone; and he held onto it for a moment. From across the bed on the nightstand table you saw your phone light up, again too tired to care, when Gaster had set his phone down too; he wrapped his other arm around you. You could feel a faint purr coming from his chest that was pressed against your back, your soul in perfect harmony with him, and you fell asleep feeling safe and warm in Gasters arms.

* * *

You had not been bothered by what he had done, for the sake of the human race; you had seen how hard he was trying. You had heard that he was _obsessed_ with finding your soul for 15 years and you didn't question it, you had told him _you knew he was an incubus;_ **_you loved him anyway._ ** You pushed him past his limits knowing full well he might hurt you, but you were too brave to let that stop you, reckless; but brave. Even as he demeaned you, when he was vicious and threatening, you were too determined to help him realize how devoted you really were. 

At first, Gaster was angry, angry at himself for being the monster he was, angry for acting like he had; angry you put yourself in danger by breaking his self-control. When you had insisted you were not afraid, for just a moment he could feel that he was hurting you too much; as he pulled your head back by your hair. It was in that moment that his prior self-control and his unleashed inner incubus started to melt together; he was able to gain a sliver of control back and he released his hold on your hair. 

All Gaster could do was think about how in danger you could be in the hands of anyone else, let alone himself; he wanted you to be afraid of him for your own safety. You only further insisted he wouldn't hurt you, he turned you around, he wanted to prove you _wrong_ he wanted to _keep you safe_. Your worried look, and the light touch of your hands on his face, only fueled his intense fire, he was angry you could make him feel so _feverish_ and _upset_ and **_loved_**. You told him something he didn't realize was the source of this twisting residual feeling in his chest, _you wouldn't leave him;_ you kissed him and he felt you cum around him. Your moans and mewls brought his insanity and anxiety to a perfect mixture with his love and passion for you, he felt close to his release and moaned for you; there was so much he wanted to say. 

You tightened around him again, and he couldn't hold himself together as he unraveled for you, he came hard, repeating your name as his mantra as if it was all that mattered to him. _You were all that mattered to him._ He rested his forehead against yours as he continued to cum inside you until he was able to slow his hips to a stop. He had felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him, he _loved_ that you did this for him; he still felt inclined to apologize for his behavior through his heavy breaths. You, _the celestial brilliance of his life_ , just reaffirmed your love for him, and that even after all this, you still weren't afraid of him. 

He could feel the warmth of your love for him spread to the coldest parts of his soul, he didn't know he could feel this way; never in a million years could he even imagine this feeling. You hadn’t just melted the cold left behind by the endless years in the void, but you had warmed the stone-cold self-hate he had in him from before his time in the abyss too. He loved you too, he held your hand and kissed your wrist, silently thanking your body and mind for keeping your soul alive and bringing you to him. He told you fully for the first time,

_“I love you too, Ember._ You will _always_ be my soul's eternal flame.” Gaster professes to you, he felt so at peace, he would give anything to continue to keep you safe. He keeps your hand in his, and holds it against his chest as he leaned in to kiss you again; he could understand now why his kind would _kill_ for this feeling.

You were understandably tired, he took you to the shower and helped hold you up as the two of you cleaned off his mess; you leaned against his chest for support. The whole moment felt surreal for the two of you, he directed his summoned hands to put fresh sheets on the bed; he wanted to make you as comfortable as possible. _His celestial deity,_ the soul that would stay with him as he fulfilled his life's aspirations, and he would do anything to help you reach every hope and dream you could possibly desire, in turn.

When he had the two of you dried off he tucked you under the covers with him, and he had a summon hand bring him his phone so he could do something he had not done in his _entire_ teaching career. He composed a mass email, translating the language of the void into English as he sent a message to all the students in his classes tomorrow. 

_‘Class is to be canceled tomorrow, I have previously unforeseen important matters to attend to, do make sure to use your given free time wisely. -Dr.W.D. Gaster’_

He would be taking a personal day tomorrow, there would be so much to explain to you about your apparent new abilities; and he didn't want you to get hurt trying out any of them by yourself.

* * *

When you first started to stir awake, you realized Gasters arms were still around you, but you had felt well-rested; so you were understandably confused. You had been confused because, if you felt well-rested, it couldn't have been 7 am; the time Gaster woke up to get ready for the day. You remember clearly the two of you went to bed after 2 am, your body always needed 8 hours of sleep to function _at least,_ you normally would sleep 12 hours if you had the choice. 

So begs the question, _why was he still here?_ You weren't complaining of course, but you could only have gotten 5 hours of sleep _max_ and Gaster was still holding you; did you suddenly need less sleep? You didn't want to wake Gaster, you could tell by his breathing he was sleeping, but you were worried he was _so_ tired from last night that he was sleeping through his classes. So, in the end you figured he would want you to wake him, he wasn't the type to irresponsibly flake out on his classes without telling anyone. First though, you give yourself a few moments more in Gasters arms as you think about the events of last night. 

Adelya is probably slightly worried, you knew she understood you were safe, but you hadn't texted her at all last night. You were more worried about Adelya having to deal with Sans, when you and Gaster left the creek he looked livid. Although, from what Gaster said to her at the creek before you left, and knowing Gaster; he probably dropped a good chunk of change in her bank account. You lightly giggle at the fact that Gaster totally enjoys flexing his wealth on other people, but the fact that he is a show-off in that way too doesn't really surprise you. He was worth so much more to you than anything material anyway, you really don't want to wake him, but you know you should at least check to make sure he wouldn't be late for work. You slowly move the arm that was beneath your pillow out from under it and shift to lay on your back, lightly touching the arm Gaster had around you; you look up at him as he starts to wake. You’ve never seen him wake up, and honestly, it was so adorable to feel him instinctively hold you closer, a low grumble of protest reverberates in his chest. You giggle again, he was making it hard for you to still want to try and wake him, but you had to text Adelya too. 

_“Gaster~”_ you whisper softly, “good... _morning?_ I’m not actually sure what time it is, but I have to get up.” You say with a still hushed tone, turning again onto your right side so you were facing him. You hear another grumble, and instead of listening to you, Gaster pulls you closer against his chest and nuzzles his face against the top of your head. You giggle softly again, “Come _on_ Gaster it's Tuesday, you have class to teach today, don't you?” You say sweetly, you bring your left hand up along his arm and over his shoulder, he's still holding you close but you're able to wiggle your way up so the two of you were face to face. 

“Gaster, you’re being _really_ cute right now, but aren't you going to be upset if you miss _your own class?”_ You say, your left hand moving from his shoulder, up to his neck and to the side of his face, he finally starts to open his eyes slowly. 

_“Goodmorning~”_ you tell Gaster in a soft melodic tone, he brings his right hand from around your back up to your face, and you can hear his low growl as he pulls you in for a kiss. You melt into his lips as you kiss him back, letting out a content sigh, that turns into a surprised squeak as he shifts his position on the bed to hover over you. The comforter slips down Gasters bare back, and he moves to put his right leg on the other side of your hip, he deepens the kiss as he gives you a soft but deep moan. After the two of you exchange your few affectionate kisses, Gaster pulls back to speak to you, your breath a bit more intense now, understandably. 

“Yes, _Good morning_ , my flame.” Gaster says, pushing a strand of your hair away from your face, still bracing himself above you with his left hand on the mattress. “I have _cleared_ my schedule, dear, there is still a lot I must explain about your _...new-found abilities,”_ he says with a smirk, his voice still heavy with morning tiredness. “And I’m sure you have explaining of your own to do with others Ember, but that can wait a few hours.” He says, he runs his right hand down your neck and lightly trails his fingertips over your bare chest. You want to relax but you were still really shocked to hear he had totally ditched his job for you today. 

“Thank you,” you smile shyly up at him, “but could I at least text Adelya real quick?” You ask politely, and Gaster gently brings his right hand up to your face again, brushing his thumb over your cheek, he gives a soft hum before answering.

“No, that _would not_ be wise.” He says, and you were going to protest, but he continued. “The bright light of your phone screen first thing in the morning will give your newly adept eyes strain, in other words, _you’ll get a terrible headache_ , dear.” Gaster informs you, he knew your next question, and he gave an amused smile as he looked down at your confused face. “No dear, you're not a vampire, the light won't hurt you, simply give yourself time to adjust slowly.” He says, and you giggle because _yes that was exactly what you were thinking._

_“Okay, okay,”_ you say with an amused huff, “so I’m _not a vampire_ , but what are these other _‘new-found abilities’_ then exactly?” You ask curiously, bringing your left hand up to touch the one Gaster held lovingly against the side of your face. Gaster leans down close to give your lips a brief affectionate kiss before he gives you his reply.

“We’ll have all day to discuss that, my flame.” Gaster says softly, leaning down to trail kisses down your neck, now bandage-free and almost completely healed, “Stay with me here for a bit longer, and after i’ll make us some coffee.” He says, his warm breath lightly brushing against your skin as he talked in his deep hushed tone; the thought of refusing him never even crossed your mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Gaster now equipped with long-distance echos!” '4g phone service', what do you think the 'G' stood for?
> 
> “Ember wasn't thirsty anymore, just hungry. But then she ate, so she got thirsty again.”


	10. Life Starts Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I will agree to do so on one condition, Ember.” Gaster says, bringing his right hand to lightly trace the one you had on top of his left, his gaze slowly traveling from your hand to your eyes. You wouldn't have been as suspicious if it wasn't for the apprehensive look he was giving you right now. 
> 
> “Okay, what's your condition?” You say tentatively. 
> 
> “If he dares to lay even one miserable phalange on you, I will step in, emergency or otherwise.” Gaster says, It was obvious he wanted to stop Sans from hugging you or shaking your hand; or maybe he just wanted any reason to step in. You knew if you refused this Gaster would only end up fighting Sans sooner, so you agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heck, okay I told yall there was gonna be violence but instead, you have two chapters of THE VERY LAST INFO DUMP.  
> Chapters that have a lot of necessary plot points and explanations are what I like to call 'info-dumps'. Character development happens, but the story doesn't move along as fast as it normally would with this many words. Lots of things are made clear to everyone involved here and now that these last few loose ends have been tied up. I CAN GET TO THE VIOLENCE....oh and the lots of smut, oh god there is so much smut planned for the next update. For now, enjoy these two chapters, and stay tunned sometime during the second week in January for the next update~ <3  
> -🔥

* * *

**Mania:** An abnormal psychological state characterized by symptoms such as elation, high energy, and activity level, racing thoughts, irritability, and rapid speech, typically occurring in people with bipolar disorder.

 **Mixed Mania:** Mania in which euphoric or irritable symptoms coincide with symptoms of depression for at least one week.

 ** man·ic ep·i··so·de: ** A manifestation of major mood disorder involving enduring periods of persistent and significant elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, and associated symptoms including decreased sleep, psychomotor speeding, racing thoughts, flight of ideas, grandiosity, and poor judgment leading to behavior that may later be regretted.

* * *

* * *

That morning Gaster held you close in bed for another hour, tracing your curves lightly with his fingertips. You squirmed excitedly, but otherwise did not move, or even kiss him, because he told you to stay still and _‘behave’_ and you were feeling obedient this morning. Mostly due to your curiosity about what Gaster was doing... and that seemed to be testing your limits. As he looked at you with his half-lidded eyes he sent waves of his sensory magic through your body, he seemed to be using both types at the same time. His left forearm was braced against the mattress, propping himself up as he watched you and your body’s response to his right hand lightly caressing your soft skin. 

You were still naked from last night, and the direct contact of his hand gliding on your skin was a sensation of its own. You moaned out at Gaster’s slow tracing of non-specific patterns over your skin, you could feel a calm sensation, then a fire-adrenaline feeling, and back again to calm. You couldn't keep yourself quiet for long, and you moaned out to him with each switch of sensation as his fingers passed over your breasts, stomach, and thighs. Gaster leaned in to kiss you finally and you moaned as his tongue met yours, they grazed against each other as you felt Gaster's hand move down to the building heat between your legs.

* * *

After quite an eventful morning in bed, you got dressed in one of Gasters sweaters again, commenting on how you would like to pick up a bag of your clothes later today. As you and Gaster were having coffee downstairs in the kitchen, he told you he would be more than happy to take you back to your dorm to pick up your things; adding that he could also just buy you more clothes too. He said it was because you _‘wouldn't have enough to hang up in your side of the bedroom closet’_ , but you had a suspicion that was probably just another poor excuse for him to spoil you more. 

Although he _was_ right, _‘your side of the closet’_ could hold about _100x_ the amount your small college dorm room closet could. You left a large amount of your boring clothes in boxes back in the basement of your parent's house, since you had to move out of your shared apartment with Adelya and you had a limited amount of space at the dorm. While you're imagining how awesome it would be to go to the mall and get new clothes for the first time in a while, you suddenly remembered something important; the contest.

At the same big mall two hours away in the next city, the competition that Alphys got you into, was going to be held at the end of the month. You felt weird about participating now since you didn't need the money anymore, but you made a commitment and you couldn’t just back out now. Alphys had been so nice and called in a favor to her friend for you, and **_if_** you were fortunate enough to win, you could just give the prize money to the runner up. You were lucky that you really only needed the publicity that competing in competitions could give you now, but you did make a personal note to not enter any more competitive shows where there was prize money. 

You had a long discussion with yourself about the money you now had access to, a big part of you thought it was unfair and you wanted to donate it somehow, that the money could be of better use somewhere else. You were confident you could make it as a singer though, besides you didn't want to ‘count all your chickens before they hatched’, you had to use your money responsibly. You decided once you had been making a steady presence in the industry, and had at least a decent following of listeners, then you would make regular donations to important causes. 

This way in the long run you could eventually help a lot more people with your music and outreach, and you weren't stealing opportunities for other artists to get the starting money they may need. Your train of thought gets slightly back on track as you remembered how you should probably inform Gaster about the competition that was coming up, firstly. So, after you ate the incredibly satisfying crepes with cream and fresh fruit that Gaster had made for breakfast; you told him as you were finishing up your coffee. 

“Oh, um _by the way_ Gaster,” you start tentatively, before taking the last sip of your coffee.

“Yes, Ember?” Gaster says as he looks up from reading the ‘health and science’ section of Monday’s newspaper since he certainly did not have the time to do so yesterday. 

“Well... in eleven days, on the twenty-sixth of this month, I'm supposed to compete in a musical performance-based competition.” You say gently, worrying there may be some reason it would be too dangerous for you to go, but Gaster seemed to have a different problem with that. Putting down his newspaper and sighing he repeats the information you just told him. 

“A competition on the twenty-sixth?” He says as he raises a brow, looking for your confirmation, you simply nod to him. Gaster puts the fingertips of his left hand against the side of his head, moving to briefly rub his temple there before slowly lowering his hand to speak again.

“This wouldn't be the competition held in _the mall in the town_ , two hours from here, _would it?”_ He asks rhetorically, clearly already knowing the answer to his question. 

You shrink down in your chair a bit, you could feel his irritation in your chest and it was obvious he must be upset with you not saying something sooner, or just hates the mall. You really didn't know how to react to this since it was clear he would go with you if he had to, Gaster definitely wouldn’t let you go two hours away from here alone, but he didn't seem to be objecting due to the safety of it.

_“It is,_ but I don't plan to compete in any more competitions of this kind, it's just that I made a commitment to a friend of mine- oh well _actually_ you know who it is; Alphys. She said she called in a favor to get me into the competition, I can't back out now...that would be awful.” You say in a bit of a rambled rush, you were clearly nervous. 

Gaster hated being around people, you should have known the mall was not his favorite place. He wouldn't stop you from going to the contest though, right? That thought caused your anxiety to rush through you, but before it hit your throat, you could feel Gaster's magic surround you like a cool comforting blanket. You calmed down enough to swallow the worried lump in the back of your throat before Gaster then spoke to further comfort you. 

_“Dear,_ I am not stopping you from going, I can see it means a lot to you, Ember. My concern is not _just_ the numerous people, it's that there will be plenty of wandering eyes from both monsters and humans who are not _forced_ to show me respect.” He says sighing and instructing a summoned hand to pour himself another cup of coffee. You let out a sigh of relief, glad that he didn't intend to convince you not to go, but you of course were confused by what he meant, so you ask him to clarify. 

“So you _do_ want to come with me, okay that much I figured, but what exactly do you mean by _that?”_ You ask, referring to his ‘forced to show me respect’ bit of his comment. 

_“Well Ember,_ if I and you are next to each other, or even in the same room, it is going to be very... _obvious_ we are bonded, at least to all of the monsters, anyway,” Gaster says taking a sip of his black coffee. You were still confused, and you stayed silent so you could give him more time to continue explaining. 

“This would’ve happened anyway when I returned to my class of course, whether you decide to join me in doing so or not.” Gaster sets down his mug and folds up the newspaper in front of him. 

“However the monsters in that classroom are basically forced to show me and you respect, unless they wish for an _unpleasant semester, that is_.” He says with a smirk. 

You connected the pieces of the puzzle together in your head before replying.

If it was true that monsters could somehow tell you and Gaster are bonded, you understood why only his students in the class would show the two of you respect. You knew there were plenty of humans and monsters who resented human/monster relationships, but If they wanted to be petty about you and Gaster’s relationship, he clearly wasn't afraid of making their semester hell in return. You also understood that this meant that out in public, monsters, and humans did not have an incentive to do the same. 

Sure, they may respect _Gaster_ out of intimidation, but it was obvious that because of that fact, you would then be on the receiving end of most of the nasty stares and rude comments. It made sense that Gaster did not want that for you, it sounded like a recipe for upsetting both of you, let alone a risk of another betrayal line appearing in your soul. There were still a few things that you didn't understand though, so you ask. 

“Oh, I see...but um how though?” You start but realize you needed to re-frame your question better. 

“I mean, _how is it obvious to other monsters that we are bonded?_ Also, how would it even be obvious to the monsters in your class if I _wasn't_ there?” You ask, wondering if it would be easiest for the both of you if you just stayed home instead of going to his class; instead of basically announcing to everyone you and he were now bonded so soon.

“Well Ember, as you may already know, all monsters can see each-others souls, however as a result, our bond allows them to see your soul as well; in a way,” Gaster says tapping the rim of his coffee mug before picking up for another sip of his coffee, then continuing. 

“Other monsters can see the part of my soul that is in yours.” Gaster says, setting his coffee mug back down on the coaster on the table. He gets up from his seat at the table elegantly and walks around to your side to approach you as he continues to explain.

“The remnants of my soul, that are swirling in the outline of yours,” Gaster says with an almost hypnotic admiration for you, and you slightly turn to the left to look up at him from your seat at the table, as he brings his right hand to lightly brush the side of your face. 

“And likewise, the reds and oranges from yours that grace mine…” he says as he trails his hand from your face, down your neck, then you see Gaster bring his left hand up to his chest. 

You watch as Gaster smoothly calls his soul forward with a short move of his hand, and you're finally able to get an actual look at the bright white upside-down heart that was his soul. The cracks that you had only seen briefly before your bond, were a bit deeper; but were now filled with reds and oranges from your soul as he said.

“...would be an obvious match when we are together, _like two sides of a balanced equation, my flame.”_ Gaster says in a slightly hushed tone, a light blush of grey starting to appear on his face as you observed your soul essence in his.

The parts of your soul that you willingly surrendered to him, had now become a part of his. The reds and oranges still shined bright with glistening small swirls of fireworks, just like they did while in your own soul when you had first seen it. You were overwhelmed to see that you had a part in somehow helping Gaster’s soul look less...painful. You didn't know how much you were actually helping, but something inside you said that you’re right to assume his soul was in less pain, now that you were a part of him. You felt the same way, of course, that's why you couldn't help but think that this was a wonderful thing for the both of you, he warmed the once dead feelings aching in your soul, and you only wished to do the same for him.

“Gaster...I’m really happy that I could... _i_ _t hurts to think…”_ You trail off, remembering again how alone and numb he must have felt when alone in the void. Before you could cry, Gaster gently calls his soul back into his body, his eyes closed for a moment, and he then brings his left hand to the right side of your face. 

_“Dear..”_ He says, hushing you slightly, and you bite your lip; but you move and stand up from your chair and immediately give Gaster a tight hug anyway. You bury your face into his sweater, and try your best to keep yourself from crying, but only succeed in holding your breath. 

“Ember,” Gaster says, seeming a bit shocked by your intense hug. He puts his right arm around you, while his left hand lightly cradles the back of your head in an affectionate embrace.

“Before you, my soul was unaware I had been missing so much, and then once it did you allowed me to stay basking in the warmth of yours.” He states with genuine sincerity, and you slightly release him from your hold, just enough to pull back and have your gaze meet with Gasters, as he continues to console you.

“I couldn't ask for anything more, I would’ve missed you even if we never met. I’ve only [ just started living ](https://youtu.be/rbXLlNeZbkM) this new form of life you’ve shown me, it's only fitting I do anything I can to continue to do so with you.” He says as if his words were undeniable truths, and your eyes were threatening to drop the tears that were building at his effortlessly romantic declaration. 

You smile and nod at his words at first, then bring a long sleeve of your borrowed sweater up to quickly wipe away the few tears that escaped; before you replied. You knew Gaster was also trying to tell you that he did not care about others opinions, you already knew he wouldn't care what others thought, but it was nice to hear him confirm that. 

“I've been doing all these reckless things for so long without really any care for myself…” You trail off as you bring a hand to lightly rest against his chest, ever so slightly giving a small light tug on Gasters sweater. He gets the hint and leans down closer to your face so you can kiss him softly, his left hand still at the back of your head and the right hand at your back pull you in closer into the kiss. You wanted to tell him out loud that you believed you would’ve already been gone if not for meeting him when you did. 

The two of you shared your mutual gratitude for one another in this moment, and at one point, you tried to pull away to finish the sentence you had started before; but Gaster wouldn't let you. He held you in place as he used his tongue to push past your sweet cream-tasting lips to deepen the kiss, you didn't want to refuse his passion of course; the sentence could wait. You let out a content sigh as you entwined your tongue with his, the melding taste of cream and coffee from your shared kiss was almost addicting. You still had questions to ask, however, and you only just remembered you could echo to him. Of course, you hated that you had to cut this short, but you couldn't risk getting distracted again, you still had to call Adelya, after all. 

_(“Gaster…”)_ You echo to him sweetly, you can tell he knows what you're asking because he only responds with an irritated grunt as he pulls you closer. 

_(“Gaster, I promise I’ll do anything you want to later, but there are still things we should-”)_ You started to remind him there were plenty of questions that he still needed to answer, however; you seemed to have already convinced him enough.

You could feel the smirk against his lips as Gaster pulls back from your kiss, and while you catch your breath slightly, he runs his tongue over his left fang before he speaks with eyes that scream _‘ulterior motive’_.

_“Interesting proposition,_ Ember...I’ll hold you to your promise then.” Gaster says as he releases his hold on your back, and fixes your disheveled hair with his left hand. His expression was so flustering you honestly didn't even realize what you had signed yourself up for.

Gaster tilted his head slightly as if appraising your appearance for a moment, his smirk turned into a softer smile, and his strong flirtatious gaze melted into a compassionate one. When Gaster seemed satisfied with your fixed appearance, and before you could re-think your offer, he simply walked back to his seat at the table; leaving you standing there rather frazzled. 

“R-Right well…” You shake your head briefly to regain your focus, as you follow Gasters lead by awkwardly sitting back down in your chair across from him. His face was smug, and your face was still flushed but you had to think of a few things before speaking. Gaster seemed to be waiting patiently as you did, periodically taking sips from his coffee. 

Previously, you knew monsters could see _each-others souls,_ but you didn't know how your bond with Gaster would allow them to tell that the two of you were bonded, or that it would be so obvious he was bonded to _you_ specifically. Now that you did, you realized this was all going to be quite the embarrassing situation, people may not say anything to your faces; but word would get around fast. You figured it would only take one or two days for the entire monster body and all of MEU to hear the news, considering Gasters reputation as an ‘enigma’, and you really did not know how you were supposed to respond if someone asked you about it. So you started by asking questions about the most obvious concern you had.

“Regardless of me being human and you a monster, won’t people question our bond being...so _sudden?”_ You start, but Gaster just raises a brow, you almost panic, you didn't want him thinking you were having second thoughts, so you spoke again to clarify.

“I mean, _obviously our situation is different_ ...with you and I having...well I guess it makes sense for you. You waited around here for me to show up, _I was just…”_ you trailed off again. 

There really was no right way for you to say _‘even though I’m deeply in love with you people are going to see me as the dumb eggar one for having no other reason to bond with you so soon’_ ; without sounding like you were saying you made a naïve decision. You knew you wanted to be bonded to him, the feelings you have for Gaster surpassed all your expectations of what you thought love was, you were worried others may doubt _your intentions with him_ and that thought was stressful. Thankfully, Gaster seemed to understand completely, and just before he spoke you felt a wash of calm in your soul. 

“Ember, I promise you the only thing you and I may face controversy in is my being a monster and you a human,” Gaster says matter-of-factly and you give him a look that asks for more comforting words and reassurance. 

“It is true that many monsters know their partner for a _longer time_ before bonding, but as with all statistics there are always a few variables that _stray from the norm.”_ He says, looking at you with a soft smirk and resting his left elbow against the table, with his head braced against his fingertips.

“You and I seem to fall into the category of those few variables, am I correct in assuming you agree with that, dear?” Gaster says motioning to you briefly with the hand he rested his head against, and you nod back to agree; as well as confirming that he was addressing your main concern. 

You're definitely relieved to hear he had also considered the fact that your faster-than-normal bond may face controversy, not only did he understand that, but he knew it didn't bother either of you one bit. Now that he made sure the two of you were on the same page, Gaster continued to explain the possible types of responses you may and may not get. 

“Monsters respect a bond more than marriage, for the simple fact that there isn't an imminent risk of death in divorce; but there is in a bond break. This is why it's taken so seriously and respected, not approving of a bond is almost a request for one or both of the monsters to be dusted.” He says finishing the last of his second cup of coffee, a summoned hand taking away both of your mugs.

It was clear to you then that only incredibly rude monsters would dare bother to show their disapproval to you and him, _humans on the other hand_ would still be a problem if they saw the two of you acting like a couple, however. You take a small fraction of time to reflect on the fact that you are more than married to Gaster now, and the whole thought heats up your face rapidly; you could even feel your heartbeat in your ears for a moment too as he continued to talk.

“However, similarly to any other relationship, only those who know you and I well could _actually confirm_ how long our relationship has been going on for.” He says, and you let out a small breath, he was right, you would really only have to explain to Haru if she asked. If someone asked _more_ questions, could it honestly just be as easy as pretending you've been together longer than you actually have? 

“I highly doubt Adelya would be an issue, not with that much patience,” Gaster says, and you give him a soft smile of agreement, she really was the best friend you could possibly have with you through all this; it was nice to know Gaster understood that too.

“I can assure you only the royal family knows anything of my personal life, the rest correctly assume I simply chose to value my privacy.” Gaster insists, assuming he successfully quelled your worries. 

However, the calm you built up as he spoke to you seemed to shatter quickly at his last statement, because honestly? _You totally forgot about Sans existence for a moment._ Gaster could sense your overwhelming dread, and he probably took a moment to read your thoughts, or maybe he just used context clues to realize the source of your distress.

“I have not brought up the topic of notifying Sans, I figured you would wish to do so yourself.” Gaster says, before tacking on one last comment.

_“I wouldn’t mind informing him instead_ if you wish.” He says with a hint of a growl in his voice, that you don't think Gaster realizes you could pick up on. 

There was no delaying telling Sans this, you understood that even if you didn't go to Gasters class tomorrow, monsters could still see Gaster had bonded with someone and word would get around quickly. Honestly, if you don't show up one class, then the next class Gaster cancels, then he returns bonded to a human and you're not there? It would be way too obvious what happened there, not to mention it would be _more_ suspicious for you _not_ to go.

_So,_ if you did go to his class and acted like _nothing changed,_ it may be for the best. It would appear to everyone (besides the royal family) that you and Gaster had been together for a long time, and had just so happened to finally bond during the time when you decided to attend one of his classes. Gaster said no one knew of his private life, and it wasn't hard to trust he didn't have any romantic partners while here at the college. It’s not like anyone would care enough about you to look into your past either, besides even if they wanted to; all they would see is that it's been years since you’ve been in a relationship anyway. You knew you and Gaster could stand strong against the inevitable hate you would get from monsters, and _especially_ humans who may judge your relationship. However, you could see how a particular member of the royal family hating your bond could cause a problem for the two of you. 

The only person who may cause a problem here was Sans. 

“No, Gaster... I’ve got a bad feeling about letting the two of you talk about this without someone there to stop you from... _being hurtful.”_ You say, not wanting to accuse Gaster of possibly getting in a fistfight with his basically-son. Gaster let out a slightly irritated huff, but you continued to justify your refusal of his valiant offer. 

“I should tell Sans _myself,_ I think that would be the right thing to do.” You say, and take a small pause before you admit the underlying anxiety you still had.

“To be honest...he kind-of freaks me out with how hurtful he gets. Back at the creek, it was like he could tell _exactly what I was worried about_ and then chose to hurt me with it….” You say, staring down at the sleeves of your sweater covering your hands, that were rested against the table in front of you. You were getting yourself a little panicked, but the sudden fix in Gasters posture snapped you out of it. 

_“I can make sure that never happens again if you’d like, my dear.”_ Gaster said with an underlying growl, and he looked like he was ready to get up, find Sans, and beat the hell out of him. Your earlier thought was right because deep in your soul you felt a violence that almost sent a cold shiver through your body. Gaster looked at you with worry, but you could feel his rage in your soul that he refused to show to you outwardly. 

“Gaster it's okay,” You tell him, reaching out a hand to rest on his now-clenched fist on the table, and for a moment his worried expression turns into one of almost bemused irritation. It was as if he didn't realize you could see his obvious intent for violent revenge against Sans, and it actually made you aggravated. 

_“Cut it out Gaster,_ I know you want to beat the crap out of him, so stop trying to hide that from me. I know you just don’t want me to get hurt again from talking to him, but getting yourself upset right now isn't gonna help, I know I can tell Sans myself.” You say with as much of a neutral, but stern tone as you can muster, pushing away your hesitation for a moment. Then Gasters expression goes from one of feigned-ignorance to stubborn-acceptance. 

“I only wish to help fix any of your problems,” He says with a faint sigh, bringing his left hand up to lightly massage his temple, but you could feel that his irritation was still growing regardless.

“If he makes you feel unsafe with his words then _maybe it's time I teach him how to bite his tongue.”_ Gaster growls, bearing his teeth slightly, this time not bothering to hold back the malice in his voice. 

You knew neither displays of aggression were directed at you, and you wouldn't be scared even if they were, but you were however curious of Gasters more-than-usual sudden aggression. Was it because he was becoming more comfortable around you and felt he could show you his emotions more outwardly now? You hopped so, it made you content to know he felt he could open up to you more. 

“I don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid, remember?” You repeat to him, a soft smile on your face, and a determined look in your eyes.

“As you said, there is no need to get upset at things that have already happened.” You say sweetly, referring to your constant feelings of anguish for his time in the void, and you watch as Gasters shoulders release their tension. His hand rests back on the table as he huffs out a tense breath before replying.

“You may have a point, I don't think he would actually dare to put his hands on you, but I am still not allowing you to talk to him alone.” Gaster says stubbornly, and you bring your hand to touch his that's on the table, you just wanted him to calm down, you could handle this. 

“I want to tell him by myself, Gaster.” You say, Gaster seemed to straighten his posture again at your touch, giving you an expression you couldn't quite pin, but looked close to desperate and relieved. 

“That doesn't mean I’ve got to go putting myself in danger though…” you start, “...I want to tell him somewhere he can yell without alerting the whole school.” You sigh, knowing full well you may be yelling too, that poor peaceful creek was turning into a constant drama hotspot. 

“I don't really know what Sans might do, but if I want to tell him somewhere secluded like the creek, your right; I shouldn't go alone.” You say, and Gaster takes a deep breath before responding.

“Ember, it is _incredibly unfair_ for you to use my magic to calm me in this situation. If you're suggesting Adelya go with you instead of me, I believe I am justified to still be concerned _because-”_ Gaster starts, before you finish his sentence.

_“Because that wouldn't solve the issue If Sans did decide to get handsy?”_ You say raising a brow at him, he gave you a slow nod, his eyes narrowed understandably confused as to where you were going with this. 

You knew Adelya could kick ass but not against a magic-wielding teleporting-opponent. Speaking of magic, you didn't know you were using Gasters magic again, but regardless, he was still misunderstanding what you actually wanted to do. 

_“So,_ I still don't really know when I'm using your abilities and I’m sorry about that, but what's important here is _you will still be coming with me_ to the creek when I tell Sans.” You say calmly, and Gaster seems to relax more again, he had a relieved look in his eyes as you continued to reassure him.

“I would never leave you behind to talk about something as...personal for us as this, it involves both of us after all.” You say to him with a reassuring smile, giving his hand a small squeeze. 

Gaster blinked a few times, a small appreciative smile of his own threatening to show on his face, his residual irritation slowly melting. You could tell Gaster was just worried you were going to push him away in this situation, and he seemed content in hearing you weren't planning on doing that at all. 

“I want you to be close enough to me, but also just kinda out of sight?” You say not particularly confident in your own words, Gaster raises a brow at you, and so you continue to explain better.

“Sans once told me, he couldn't tell you were near me at the party, and I think cause, I guess, my soul makes other things hard to ‘see’? I think it has to do with….” You trail off trying to figure out how to word things, but this time it's Gaster who helps you finish your sentence. 

“The brightness of your soul Ember,” he says simply “I guess a simple metaphor would be, to imagine someone is shining a flashlight directly in your line of sight.” Gaster says, sounding calmer now, realizing fully you still wanted him to be there, you just didn't want Sans to know. 

“It would be hard to see anything directly behind the light, yeah.” You say acknowledging his metaphor, relieved to see Gaster completely calm again. 

“It's just that Sans wouldn't listen to me if he knew you were there too, it would just end up starting a fight, so please only come out if I'm actually in danger.” You insist you were still uncertain of doing things alone though, even _with_ Gaster on standby, you wouldn't be physically harmed sure, but you were more worried about your soul's reaction. 

You knew what you had to do, you had to tell Sans you knew what you got yourself into when you decided to bond with Gaster, all while holding back your emotions as much as you could. You realized Sans only fed off of your negative reactions in arguments, you would have to take a page from Gasters book and try your best to keep your composure. It was still a worrying situation though, how exactly were you supposed to explain to Sans that you had true genuine emotions for Gaster, without getting too emotional? How were you supposed to convince Sans you weren't being controlled or hypnotized, or whatever it is incubus exactly do, into loving Gaster; _without reacting passionately_? It was going to be difficult, but it would get messy if you somehow made things worse by saying one wrong thing Sans might try and latch onto. 

You knew Gaster could be violent, but you weren't afraid of him, you were more concerned for Sans’s well being honestly. You had to admit though, the way Sans could be reckless with his emotional outbursts and wildly unstable ‘calm’ persona, made you extremely uncomfortable. On paper, it would seem Gaster and Sans had similar personalities, both hiding emotions and having ulterior motives; but that couldn't be any farther from the truth. Gaster’s ulterior motives were never selfish, he did what he did because he wanted you or others to be safe even if he used questionable methods to do that. Sans, on the other hand, seemed to only be motivated by spite, or his own selfish desires. 

“I will agree to do so _on one condition,_ Ember.” Gaster says, bringing his right hand to lightly trace the one you had on top of his left, his gaze slowly traveling from your hand to your eyes. You wouldn't have been as suspicious if it wasn't for the apprehensive look he was giving you right now. 

_“Okay,_ what's your condition?” You say tentatively. 

“If he _dares_ to lay _even one_ miserable phalange on you, I will step in, emergency or otherwise.” Gaster says, It was obvious he wanted to stop Sans from hugging you or shaking your hand; or maybe he just wanted any reason to step in. You knew if you refused this Gaster would only end up fighting Sans sooner, so you agreed. 

_“Fine,_ but only if you accept my _counter-condition.”_ You say with playful stubbornness, and it actually succeeds in making Gaster smirk.

“Very well, what's your _counter-condition?”_ Gaster says, a slightly playful tone underlying in his usual dominant one. 

“You can’t hurt him either,” you say and before Gaster could accept you added one important detail, _“that includes any of your summoned apparitions too, Gaster.”_ You say, and you hear Gaster let out a huff of breath, a smug look on his face as if he just got caught in a lie. 

“So then, it would be alright for me to summon anything as long as it doesn't come into contact with him, _correct?”_ Gaster asks, and you can see there is more to this than you are getting, but you assume as long as no one is getting hurt, then it would be fine. 

“Yeah, sure. Only if he touches me though, and I'm going to make sure to avoid that which _I'm sure_ you appreciate.” You say rolling your eyes playfully and giving him a smirk, Gaster looks smug as he gives you a single slow nod to confirm your comment; for some reason, you have a nagging feeling you've lost again. 

Gaster moves his hand back, he always seemed to be the ‘winner’ in these situations. He could ‘win’ if he wanted, all you wanted is for you to tell Sans about this before he found out himself and wanted to start trouble. You shake your head and take in a deep breath, continuing. 

“I don't even know what I'm going to say to him, but before I get into _that_ , why don't we actually talk about what we were supposed to?” You giggle, the two of you get so off-topic so frequently. 

“Right, I suppose that would be a better use of our time than wasting it on that brute.” Gaster says, equally matching your smirk with one of your own. 

You were about to tell him not to be such a jerk when he talked about Sans, sure he was a dick, but that attitude was only going to make things worse; you knew when to pick your battles though. Gaster takes your moment of silence as an invitation to start his explanation of your new abilities, and you listened intently as he did. 

“As I reiterated before, you seem to be using my natural abilities without my allowing, or even knowing. Usually, I would at least be able to feel the drain of my magic as you use it so that if I did not wish for you to use my magic, I can choose to resist. However you seem to be able to use my magic with your own energy source, therefore you are not draining my magic, only using it as an _‘extension cord’_ of sorts.” He says, and you look at him trying to get a clear picture of his information in your head, Gaster better explains his metaphoric example.

“You can use my magic freely because you are able to bypass the need to drain magic energy from me, and instead draw that energy from the void by yourself. Though, before our bond, you could not fully connect to the void safely, let alone do anything but transmit your voice through it.”Gaster says, and as it was becoming the norm, many things made sense to you now, but you now had numerous new questions in their place. Mainly though, you really only had one.

“But, how?” You ask, and Gaster lightly nods as if he too was asking how you were apparently able to transmit your voice through the void before.

_“I believe_ your original slight communication ability to be a result of your connection to the void through your betrayal lines, and the energy provided by your extremely bright soul. You originally had enough power to use the betrayal lines already in your soul, your strong emotion while singing was intense enough to make your connection to the void a ‘two way’ or a ‘revolving door’ type.” 

* * *

Gaster started to explain to you in detail, bits, and pieces you never even figured to ask, and information he must not have told you because they were not relevant at the time. Unknowingly, your strong emotions and your soul energy powering them must’ve momentarily reversed the code of your betrayal lines, resulting in the flip of the flow of control. That, In a sense, the void was not draining from you as much as _you drained from it_ while you sang _._ Before the bond, you could not make a complete connection to the void, and your emotional distress that was amplified by your momentary reversed connection to it only added to the draining of your energy.

You weren't upset that Gaster waited to tell you about your faulty harnessing of the void, you knew he just wanted to keep you safe. You came to fully understand, now that you and Gaster were bonded, not only was your ability to create a flipped connection to the void no longer draining your energy but now that connection was allowing you to freely use Gasters abilities. 

You knew Gaster was the only being to ever be pulled from the void, and as such was the only living being who could harness it after being trapped in it for so long. He told you during his time there he learned the language of the code in the void, it was why he could use it effortlessly, efficiently, and expertly. So you trusted him when he told you his theory that you had been flipping the code of your betrayal lines, even if only partially. 

Gaster told you that your ability to do so was not only impressive but baffling. Sans at one point tried to save him from the void, Gaster said he tried to find him but could only figure out enough about the void to utilize short teleportation through it, then seemed to lose hope in rescuing him. Gaster said that it would have taken almost all the magic Sans could spare to teleport just himself to the surface, let alone pass the barrier. You could see now why Gaster was so upset with Sans, _he sat back as he watched Sans give up on him,_ from his prison in the void.

When Gaster first heard you sing, he said it was muffled but it was being projected through the void to him.

“So I do have to admit, I've heard you sing quite a few times now.” Gaster says, and you hang your head in your hands and groan, thinking of all the embarrassing mistakes or off-key squeaks you may have made during practice. Gaster just lightly chuckles before responding. 

_“Honestly Ember,_ it's not as if I won't hear you sing again,” He says, and you raise your head to see him giving you a patient but admired expression; it makes you snap out of your light-hearted despair.

“I believe there is a fault in my code too, my flame.” Gaster says in reference to the song he heard you practice in the old auditorium. His calm voice mixed with a momentary sadness that also showed in his eyes as the two of you shared a moment. Then, you gave him a soft appreciative nod and he briefly mirrored your gesture before continuing.

“That said dear, you were only able to safely and successfully make a complete connection to the void once, that night at the bar. I believe when you sustained constant singing it was able to continue and in those moments I heard your voice clearly.” Gaster says, and you remember the sudden crystal clear echo feeling in your heart that night as you sang. 

Even though you could use his abilities without putting yourself in immediate danger anymore, Gaster said the only abilities that seemed safe for you to use so far were the ones that did not require large amounts of energy. Your communication through the void as you sang, his sensory magic, and your ability to focus better in the dark; they were all those of low-energy magic usage. Gaster _did say,_ however, that no matter your new-found balance and abilities, there were still certain things you should _never_ attempt to do. Some abilities would require too much energy from you to use and would prove too dangerous with your soul in your current state.

“The limits of your abilities are similar to that of an adolescent monster.” Gaster says, and as he continues his metaphor, you try your best to adapt to the new information. You tried to keep your focus as you listened to Gaster talk to the extent of the danger of your situation, and you wondered if Gaster still had to block your projected thoughts to him. 

“Clearly you can use magic much easier now Ember, however too much use will exhaust you still as it would any inexperienced monster using magic, it is just a more serious consequence in your case.” He says, and you can guess Gaster is referring to the risk of your soul dimming from burnout.

_“Never_ attempt to walk through the void,” He insists. 

“Your soul couldn't handle the immense use of energy _no matter what the distance,_ and you certainly couldn't make the trip alone.” He says with an absolute serious tone, but you could tell he was truly worried at your still-possible curiosity. Before, you may have been slightly offended at his disbelief in you, but you trusted he knew what was and wasn't in your realm of capabilities here. 

So, you assured him you wouldn't even risk it, and promised to never try to teleport, even though you didn't know where you would even begin to try and do so in the first place. You asked if you could do so by accident just in case and also if this meant it wasn't safe for you to travel through the void in general. Gaster insisted, however, that moving through the void was a conscious choice and that you could not do so by accident. He and his magic were too strong for the void to rip you from his hands and since you would not be the one using the magic to transport, you would not be getting your energy drained; so traveling with him was perfectly safe. You asked Gaster to explain how he had so much energy to travel through the void constantly if it took such a large amount of energy to use.

Gaster responded by telling you that it would take any other being a great deal of magic to teleport through the void because they were not as experienced or fluent in the ways of the void as he was. Apparently, the only limitations he experienced were long-distance travel, not in lack of magic energy. For him, it was more about not being able to stay in the void for too long; the farther the distance, the longer he would need to move through the void and the greater risk of being pulled back in. Gaster said that especially now, after your bond; he was more than prepared with enough magic energy, even for the most draining of magics. 

Apparently, just a small use of the energy that now swirled in his soul, supplied him with almost endless magic energy. Thanks to your overly bright soul, any amount he would ever need to use was minuscule and could be regenerated without you even becoming fatigued. _At least one of you can benefit from one another without almost dying in the process_ , you thought. The morbidity of the moment is amusing to you as you continue to listen to Gaster inform you of your limitations.

“As far as battle magic is concerned, you should not attempt to summon any offensive magic, _however,_ it may not be a bad idea to teach you the basics of my defensive tactics for an additional safety net,” Gaster says and you watch him patiently as he appears to contemplate something, before continuing. 

“It should only be used as a last resort and never if your soul is dimmed, however, as it would still require a large amount of energy from you as a human.” He says looking at you expectantly, and you nod to show you understood.

You knew monsters had basic protection magic and that it varied depending on the monster. Gaster explained further that most monsters were able to summon apparition-type magic, based on a physical or related trait depending on the monster, this was their battle magic and was based on the monster's magic strength. He explained that both the offensive and defensive summoned apparitions can be controlled or completely autonomous, depending on the amount of control and focus the monster who summoned it is able to keep. 

Well, that certainly explained why sometimes it seemed that the hand's Gaster was able to summon, had a mind of their own.

“Trying to summon my offensive magic is completely out of the question, however, as it would most certainly completely drain your energy.” He says, again looking to you for your confirmation that you understood and you nod again. You don't know why his battle magic would take so much energy to summon, but something told you it was because of how strong of a monster Gaster was. 

Then Gaster went quiet for a moment and you could feel something was definitely off. He seemed to think of something else he could do and it was clear that he didn't want you to know, or ever try it either. You figured it was something to do with him specifically as an incubus since he was almost entirely open about the abilities of void and the basics of monster battling magic. You knew a lot of his self hate derived from his monster species as an incubus, so you try to assure him.

“Gaster...It's okay, if there is anything else I might...accidentally do, I think you should tell me because I really don't want to put myself in danger if I mess up something.” You say gently, choosing to avoid saying you may put others in danger, but Gaster still refused to say more on the matter, and instead responded vaguely.

_“It's nothing you’d ever do on accident, or even think of trying Ember.”_ Gaster says, and even though his tone was flat, you felt that residual self hate of his bubble in your chest, as he broke eye contact with you. 

You didn't want to push him on it, this was all a lot to take in and you knew whatever he was holding back was painful for himself to admit. You would never force him to talk about something that brought him pain, [ you saw the real him though](https://youtu.be/DBQPx2upFg8), no matter what he thought of himself. You knew you should try to change the subject, so you figured you might ask about one of the positive sides of all this that you thought about.

“Okay, I trust you.” You start, and he looks at you again, your kind eyes and soft accompanying smile offering a change of subject, as you continue.

“I'm glad you have lots of energy now, I’m sure it will make finding a way to get rid of my betrayal lines at least a bit easier, right?” You say, moving to sit on your knees in your chair, leaning a bit on the table towards Gaster, a lighthearted expression as you try to project your optimistic mood to him.

“It's almost not fair, there's a bunch of new things I'm getting to experience here, but you just get to be like, a supercharged battery?” You say with a short giggle, you both knew this was all much more serious than you were making it out to be, but Gaster seemed willing to humor your optimism in that moment anyway.

So with a knowing look in both his and your eyes, Gaster agrees to concede the serious moment to one that would relieve the tension for you both, and he slightly leans in so that he too was just a bit closer to you before responding. 

“Not exactly Ember, being a ‘supercharged battery’ as it were, has more advantages than you know of my dear.” Gaster says, a spark of playful bait in his eyes, and a tone that was also asking you to question him further. 

“Okay you got me, I'm definitely curious, what _other advantages_ do you now have then?” You say intrigued, and happy that he chose to drop the subject to humor you. 

_“Well,_ I believe I am able to summon a creature that I was never fully capable of summoning before, for one... and I could show you _if you’d allow it,_ ” Gaster says to you, his last few words soft as he brings his right hand up to lightly caress the left side of your face, his left forearm braces against the table; so that he can still lean towards you. 

The heat returned to your face, his tender movements and alluring eyes as he admired yours sent butterflies to stir inside you. His movements _aside_ , there was something about such a powerful monster asking you politely for permission to use your energy, (regardless of how little it would affect you), that made you fluster with warmth. You almost forgot to answer his question, getting so wrapped up in your building lust.

“R-Really?” You say sheepishly, swallowing your desire to meet your lips with his, “Okay...I don't mind.” You say, and Gaster gives you a look that teasingly says _‘you don't seem that interested’_ , so before he could get a chance to tease you further, you add to your answer.

“I-I mean, I would like to see...um, If you’d show me…that is.” You try and say smoothly, but you were just too flustered to muster a proper way of showing Gaster your genuine interest. 

Gaster just chuckled at your frazzled state, and lightly brushed your bottom lip with his thumb before speaking in a soft but deep, mischievous tone. 

_“It's nice to see you are so well trained, my pet.”_ Gaster says, praising your obedient quick correction of your comment, then he pulls back as he stands up from his seat at the table; keeping eye contact with you as he does.

You whine when he pulls away and his amused smirk only causes you to bite your lip in further anticipation, he tilts his head as if to say _‘this is payback from stopping things earlier’_. You slump down in your chair and you can hear another soft chuckle from him before he speaks. 

“I will be happy to demonstrate later dear, as I do not wish to do so here at the house and you may wish to contact Adelya now.” Gaster says, and you give a bit of a dramatic sigh, mainly because you knew he was right. 

“Okay, yeah, yeah... you’re right... _I should_ probably get to that, her last class is almost over and if I wait to message her any longer she's gonna start to worry.” You look up at Gaster from your seat at the table, messing absentmindedly with the long sleeves of your sweater and you giggle.

“Ya know, I should probably also grab my clothes soon too.” You say as you get up, making a point to show off the sleeves that easily passed your hands, you looked like a seal with flippers. 

“Why dear?” Gaster begins, “You look so much better without them.” He says before he turns and starts walking back to the stairs that lead to the second-floor bedroom, you couldn't see his face as you hurried behind him, but you didn't need a Ph.D. to know he most definitely had a smug grin on his face.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ever heard of the phrase 'calm before the storm' ....well honey you got a big storm commin. xD but really, it's a storm that's far away, not the one that's currently on the horizon. Its many chapters ahead, and starts with how "nice" Gaster is being. So sweet and romantic, you should be concerned <3 that is all~
> 
> I love three days grace....this fanfic is an excuse for me to make a story with Lights, TDG, and Breaking benjamin songs...and a bunch of others too who am I kidding.  
> -🔥


	11. Magnetic Field

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There is gonna be a huge fight huh?” Adelya says, raising a brow at you.
> 
> “I made Gaster promise he could only come out if Sans tried to touch me and even if he does I told him he couldn't hurt Sans.” You said a bit exhausted, and Adelya gave you a disbelieving look. 
> 
> “Uhuh, well...good luck with that.” She says
> 
> “Thanks.” You respond with an apathetic expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the last of the info dump! lol, from here on out, everyone who matters is on the same page, well there is only one person who needs to be clued in on one particular event, and that's happening in the next update! So please stick around for the fighting....and the smut! lol Do you guys like how sweet Gaster is being?? Be afraid~ be very afraid~ because when you look back you will see~ where it all started to spiral~ 
> 
> (Why am I talking like river-person? who knows. >.>) 
> 
> (also please note it is like 7:30 am and I did not finish editing the end of this chapter, instead I chose to crash...If you find a mistake don't Worry, I'll catch it later and cry about it too, lol)  
> -🔥

You watched as Gaster sat at his desk in the bedroom and continued to grade papers while you talked to Adelya. You sent her a text asking her to call you after she got out of class and when she did you told her you were still doing just fine, then you asked about her. She told you that things went okay with Sans, apparently, she went and took him to grillby's after the incident at the creek so he could rant to her instead of continuing to bug you. You thanked her many times and told her that she wouldn't have to play mediator anymore because you planned to settle things with Sans yourself later today. 

She seemed worried, but you told her that Gaster would actually be present during the talk, but Sans wouldn't know, for more than one reason. You told her this way you could handle things yourself, and Gaster was still able to make sure you were safe; making it clear to Adelya she could not mention it to Sans, of course. She understood and was glad to hear you wouldn't really be alone and you were finally stepping up to handle things yourself. Then, you told her that Gaster would be bringing you back to the dorm soon to grab your clothes, and you asked if she could start shoveling everything that was in your closet into a few duffle bags. 

_(“What's in it for me?”)_ Adelya asks, with a feigned annoyance, and you giggle. 

“So much girl you have no idea.” You say, knowing just how mind-blown she was going to be when she hears you tell her that Gaster paid her entire tuition. 

_(“Alright, I’ll let it slide just this once then, but tell Gaster I get like at least an hour of your time before he steals you again.”)_ She responds.

Before you picked up the phone to call Adelya, Gaster had told you to let her know she could move into a bedroom on the third floor, whenever she was ready. You told him you would talk to her about it today, when Adelya asked to talk to you alone for an hour, you looked over at Gaster. He seemed to be keeping an eye on you, regardless of him also being focused on grading papers; you gave him a look as if to ask if it would be okay and Gaster simply gave you a single nod. 

“Okay sure, there is a lot I’d rather tell you one-on-one anyway, I’ll see you soon then?”

_(“Yeah sounds good, see you in like five seconds probably.”)_ Adelya laughs, knowing full well Gaster would just teleport you there soon. 

When you hung up with Adelya, you walked over to Gaster, who stopped his work to turn his attention to you. 

“Um so, I think I'm going to take a few hours to talk to Adelya at the dorm if that's okay with you…” You say, holding your phone tight in your hand against your chest. 

You were only slightly nervous, seeing as Gaster took the whole day off for you, and now you’re asking for him to leave you with Adelya. Sure, it was only for a few hours, but it still seemed kinda rude to you. 

“Of course dear, I think it would actually benefit you to be around your equalizer before attempting to deal with a _certain dead-weight,”_ Gaster says to you, his elbow resting on the desk, and the back of a red pen in his hand lightly resting against the side of his face. 

_“Equalizer?”_ You say questionably, you knew he was talking about Sans as a dead-weight but was he implying Adelya was this ‘equalizer’?

“Adelya, dear. Her soul traits and condition balance yours and are helpful in keeping you stable, this would also be why her living here with you is ideal.” Gaster says, and you’re starting to see that even his kindness is calculated for your safety, he really had a lot of this figured out in advance huh?

“Oh well, that's good then…” you say, and Gaster nods before he begins putting away the papers on his desk. 

Gaster grabs the folder that contained the statements that proved you and Adelya’s tuitions were paid off and you agreed to take it with you, she would probably need proof. It's believable that Gaster could pay her tuition, but she would still be too shocked to believe you when you say he did without some kind of evidence.

“Ember, while you're with Adelya, may I have your phone? I will install the dimensional tracker while the two of you talk over things.” Gaster asks you, holding out his hand for you to give him your phone and after you hand it over, you make a comment. 

“Sure, but don’t judge me for all the cat memes.” You say giggling, you knew this way Gaster could find your location easier if you didn't know or were ever unconscious and couldn't echo your location to him. 

“I can assure you only you could be easily distracted by those, Ember.” Gaster says, and you click your tongue, ready to say that loads of people get distracted by cats on the internet, but Gaster had more important questions. 

“I will also need your permission to examine your medical records fully.” He says as he places your phone on his desk. 

“Gaster, _I can assure you only you_ would feel the need to ask me that after recent events.” You say with a smirk light-heartedly mocking his earlier comment, the two of you were bonded now, of course, he could check your medication list. 

You knew he probably just needed it so he could keep better track of your health, so you really didn't mind. Gaster raises a brow at your playful mocking and you realize he was still waiting for a more straight answer.

“ _Yes_ Gaster, you have my permission to know exactly everything else that's broken with me.” You huff in amusement, but Gaster did not seem to appreciate your self-deprecating comment and he takes a single quick step towards you.

He was already so close and you let out a surprised squeak as your first instinct was to back up at his sudden movement, but you almost fell over doing so. Gaster doesn't let you fall of course, his right hand moves to swiftly catch you at the small of your back. 

“What the heck Gaster?” You giggle at your clumsiness as you finally look up at him to meet his gaze. He looked worried again, and you realize he _may_ have been worried you were going to start crying again like you did in the kitchen last night. 

“I refuse to believe there is truly anything broken with you, Ember.” Gaster says, bringing his left hand to your face to lightly run his hand down your neck to your shoulder in a comforting manner. 

You were flustered by Gasters tender movements and sweet words, realizing he was refusing to take the chance you may be mentally spiraling as you frequently did.

“I plan to learn everything there is to know of your past, present, and future, so I can be prepared to do everything possible to prevent any more lines from appearing on your soul.” Gaster said to you softly, and you didn't know when your eyes started to get blurry with building tears, you were too touched by his passionate declaration. 

You stopped yourself before you started crying though, you didn't want to worry Gaster more. Of course, you were more happy than sad at his comment, happy he didn't see you as a failure, happy to know he would be there for you. However, you still felt you were not worthy of his help. You felt so lucky to have him, but why you? You knew he loved you and wasn't just interested in your soul, but you couldn't help but still wonder if Gaster would’ve even bothered to look in your direction if you didn't have your betrayal lines. You wondered if that even really mattered. 

You brought your right hand up to rest on his chest, and your left hand moved up to rest on the upper arm that Gaster held you with. Blinking your eyes clear of the almost-tears that threatened to form earlier at his promise to you, you give him a small, reassuring smile. 

“I was so tired of feeling alone, for a while I felt like everything I said to anyone was wasted breath.” You say, people may have surrounded you, but even Adelya couldn't always help you not feel completely alone.

“I don't think I'd be here still if we hadn't met,” You add, if you had not met Gaster and that phone call from your parents happened, you had a feeling the void would have taken you soon after. You can feel a flustered heat building in your face, as you find it hard to keep eye contact as you continue.

“I know it hasn't been long, but you've already done so much to stop the pain that I…” You say a bit quieter, and Gaster brings his left hand that rested on your shoulder, up to your chin to direct your attention on him again as he frequently had to do. 

By now, Gaster had picked up on how, the times when you were worried about his response, you couldn't keep eye contact with him. He seemed to always chase your fears of a negative reaction away, each time he directed your attention back to him like this. 

“The constant feeling of isolation even when surrounded by others, I felt the same cold nothingness that I’d experienced in the void, in the shadows of your soul when we bonded, my flame.” Gaster says, and you remember that feeling you felt when the two of you bonded, the chill of the absence of everything in the void, was he telling you he saw your lonely years in turn?

You did not want to admit to him that you had been at that low point, Gaster couldn't avoid being pulled into the void, It was nobody's fault but your own that you had felt so alone, right? So instead of responding to him, you slightly lifted your heels from the floor, Gaster moved down to meet your lips and the two of you shared a soft kiss. 

* * *

  
  


It was around 4 pm when Gaster teleported you back to your dorm room, he asked if Adelya would drive you to the creek around 7 pm, then gave you a keyring with 4 keys. Gaster had explained two were for you and two for Adelya, one key was for the front door, and the other for the garage. He told Adelya that after dropping you off, she could go back to the house and chose a bedroom on the third floor, as long as it was to the far left of the house. You tried to hold back laughter about the fact that, with your bedroom being on the right side of the second floor, Gaster probably just wanted to make sure she didn't hear anything. You were able to keep your composure, but an amused smile was still painted across your face nonetheless.

“Sure thing, I’m guessing you’ll already be at the creek when I drop her off?” Adelya asks Gaster, fully understanding the plan for you to finally tell Sans that he can calm the fuck down. 

“Correct, you needn't worry of course. I can assure you if Sans has any brutish intent, the creek will wash his dust away before he even flinches.” Gaster says with a straight face his right hand on your left shoulder, you were not fazed by his comment of course, but Adelya was.

_“Holy shit_ , look dude I'm no doctor, but I’m pretty sure you're not supposed to go around threatening to kill people so easily.” Adelya says, completely unfazed by his malice, she wasn't scared, just disappointed. 

_(“I am not surprised that is her response, considering how brightly that integrity of hers shines.”)_ Gaster echoes to you and this was the first time you heard anything about Adelya’s soul colors, but a sapphire blue soul with integrity made lots of sense to you. 

“Adelya, I have an explication for the possible reason Gaster is being...um..” you look up to Gaster who was standing at your left side, and still on your shoulder, to anyone else his expression may be flat, but you could tell he was slightly entertained by Adelya’s prior comment.

_“A bit more intense than usual_ , but well…” you’re unable to keep eye contact with Gaster, and instead look back to Adelya “I’d rather talk about that later...” You trail off, your face feels hot with embarrassment again. You really did not know how you were going to tell Adelya about your bond. 

“Well, whatever it is it's gotta be pretty interesting, if it's enough to warrant death threats, that is.” Adelya says, and Gaster lets out a small huff of air that only you can hear, you were glad he wasn't annoyed with Adelya’s sassier-than-usual comments. You were becoming a bad influence on her, but you also knew she wasn't actually trying to be sassy, just concerned. 

After Gaster had said a polite goodbye to Adelya, he turned to face you, repeating that he would see you at the creek later and after gently caressing the side of your face, his form faded to black as he disappeared from reality. 

_“Soooo…?”_ Adelya says to you expectantly, no doubt waiting for you to explain why Gaster felt the need to be so protective. 

“Oh boy,” you start with a sigh, “alright grab the bean bag chairs girly I got a tale to tell.”

* * *

  
  


The morning had started rather well for Gaster, now that you shared his abilities he tested if you could still experience the adverse effects similar to intoxication from his sensory magic. He gave you minor doses, of both his sensory heightening and calming magic, increasing steadily as he watched you writhe underneath his touch. You seemed to have a higher tolerance now as he suspected, but his tolerance for resisting your erotic needy moans, however, seemed to be much lower. It wasn't long till he gave into drowning in his desires for you, he found being intimate with you similar to the way he enjoyed wine, indulging in you at all times if possible. 

You had finally decided to tell him about the contest you signed up for, as he saw the email you sent Alphys. Gaster was too curious to see what business his successor as the head royal scientist, could have possibly had with you. Of course, he saw the audio file you attached in the email, but he did not bother to listen to it since he figured you would’ve told Alphys the contest was no longer necessary by now. That would have been too easy though and of course, you still wanted to go, he hated that dreadful mall that was swarming with people, but he had more serious concerns. 

Most monsters are kind and accepting, but certainly not all of them, Gaster himself being one of the many exceptions to the endless kindness most monsters had. However, just because it was only monsters who could immediately tell you and he were bonded, doesn't mean they were the only ones that would possibly pose a problem for the two of you. Humans were always so willing to hate, and they were undoubtedly the worst contributors to the anti-human/monster relationship mentality. When not on campus, he and you would not be surrounded by people who knew his reputation. Out in public, other monsters may be able to get a read on how strong he was and stay away out of fear if not respect.

That wouldn't be enough to avoid conflict, however, especially not when it came to humans. If he turned his back, a brave or unaware monster and/or _any type of human_ who wanted to start trouble could approach you. He wouldn't let them get close enough to hurt you of course, but he was sure you would retaliate at some point when he’d recognize someone with mal-intent that you couldn't. He would end up seeming too overprotective and you would not be able to see what he could. Sure you could vaguely see the outline of your own soul now, but you could not see others and so unlike him, you could not tell when someone may be approaching you with ulterior motives. Going out in a crowded public place with you was a recipe for misunderstandings, not to mention the amount of people who would be focusing on you if you were to be _on stage_. 

He explained to you how your bond would be obvious to others, showing you his soul as proof that your bond to him had graced the colorless voids from the cracks in his, with your vibrant reds and oranges. You seemed to be a mix of emotions in that moment as you usually were and when you spoke your eyes glistened with the beginnings of tears. 

“Gaster...I’m really happy that I could...It hurts to think…” You said to him, and he could tell you were remembering his time in the void again. 

Before you could cry more tears for him, Gaster gently called his soul back into his body, he thought of how balanced he felt as he did so. Before this, calling out his soul and returning it was always a painful experience, no matter how much he hid that fact outwardly. Then, taking a breath, Gaster brought his hand to the side of your face.

_"Dear..”_ He started, hushing you slightly, then you moved and stood up from your chair to embrace him quickly. Gaster felt a warm rush that ran through his chest as you held onto him tightly, your face nuzzled into his sweater.

“Ember,” Gaster says, still a bit shocked from this new, addicting feeling flowing through him. He puts his right arm around you slowly, while his left hand lightly cradles the back of your head, a small whisper in the back of his mind wishes for this feeling of your embrace to never end. Gaster could only say what had naturally been flowing through his mind in that moment, something not calculated, but natural.

“Before you, my soul was unaware I had been missing so much, and then once it did you allowed me to stay basking in the warmth of yours.” He states with sincerity even he did not know he had in him. When you slightly released him from your hold, he almost wanted to protest, thankfully you only backed up just enough to look him in the eye and so he continued to console you. 

“I couldn't ask for anything more, I would’ve missed you even if we never met. I’ve only just started living this new form of life you’ve shown me, it's only fitting I do anything I can to continue to do so with you.” Gaster says, the words almost falling past his lips without a second thought, he had to let you know that no one's opinion would change that, he would stay by your side; as he would make sure you could do the same.

“I've been doing all these reckless things for so long without really any care for myself…” You say to him, giving a small light tug on his sweater a silent way of asking for his affection. 

He lost himself in his kiss with you, and every shred of his being was telling him to take you again, to bend you over the kitchen table and start his day with you moaning for him passionately. However, to his dismay, there were important things to discuss and you were trying to stop things before they got any farther, he was going to refuse; until he heard you echo to him. 

_(“Gaster, I promise I’ll do anything you want to later, but there are still things we should-”)_ You naively said to him. 

Anything? Well now, that was _too enticing_ to refuse, and you did _promise_ him after all. He pulled back from your kiss, which left you a bit breathless to his amusement. He impatiently runs his tongue over his left fang, the sight of seeing you slightly out of breath was extremely tempting.

_“Interesting proposition,_ Ember...I’ll hold you to your promise then.” Gaster says as he releases his hold on your back. Gaster found it a fair trade, his mind started to turn with possibilities as he lazily fixed your appearance, an excuse to hold you just a moment longer.

Gaster tilted his head slightly before you could catch on to his plan, he turned his smirk into a softer smile and melted his strong flirtatious gaze into a more compassionate one. Then, before you could re-think your offer, he simply walked back to his seat at the table. Gaster found it endlessly amusing each time he left you high and dry, your rather frazzled look just one of the many expressions he wanted to keep all to himself. 

You sit back down in your chair across from him, he figured you were too flustered to recognize his smug expression. Gaster knew you were thinking over how to start the next conversations that needed to be had and he waited patiently as you did, periodically taking sips from his coffee. You had decided to start with the issue of your bond happening rather quickly in comparison and he already knew you were not actually worried about it; he just had to assure you that he was of course unbothered by the fast-paced nature of your bond as well.

“Ember, I promise you the only thing you and I may face controversy in is my being a monster and you a human.” Gaster says matter-of-factly.

He also had informed you that normally your bond would be respected more than marriage by most monsters. Gaster also quelled your fears of any teachers or MEU staff who may find things odd, his private life was just that, private. He knew he couldn't keep it that way, due to the nature of being unable to hide a soul bond from monsters, but he reminded you that you could simply let people believe you had been with him longer. After all, only he and you and Adelya, knew any different. 

Gaster would only need to deal with the royal family, he would only need to deal with Sans and it was clear with your building anxiety you had been thinking the same. 

“I have not brought up the topic of notifying Sans, I figured you would wish to do so yourself.” Gaster says, before tacking on one last comment. 

_“I wouldn’t mind informing him instead_ if you wish.” He says with a hint of a growl in his voice, that Gaster thought he had hidden well enough. 

You took a moment to think over your options, and Gaster took a moment to reflect on who else would eventually know of your relationship. He couldn't help thinking of a troubling fact, if you become as famous as you wished, many monsters would see your bond. Of course, Gaster would never agree to be near cameras or be the focus of any tabloid, but he also knew you wouldn't expect this of him anyway. You couldn't go very far until he was able to find a cure for your betrayal lines of course, but he did not plan to leave you afterward and neither did you. However, he also knew if you were to go on a tour of sorts you would not require him to be at all your performances, but that thought started to cause a tense feeling in his chest, so he directed his train of thought to something related. 

He knew your dream was to produce music and help others with your outreach, but why exactly did you need to perform in front of so many other people to do so? Not only was it dangerous for you, if you tried to do so frequently before he was able to remove your betrayal lines, but it brought other _unsettling thoughts_ to his mind. If something stressful happened to you on stage for example, surely a negative experience in front of so many people would most certainly end up causing more betrayal lines. 

Then there was another issue, If you went out to constantly perform live, there would be _too many_ chances for _way too many people_ to look at you with wandering eyes. Gaster knew it wasn't logical in the least to have these thoughts, he knew all along this is what you wanted, but there was clearly a problem here. He seemed to be feeling a strong emotion when he thought of the possible near future. If you were planning to sing live like the siren you were, on a stage in front of a crowd, your fans would lust for you just as he had and that thought _really pissed him off._ He did not plan on sharing you with anyone, ever, and there would never be any room for negotiation on that. 

At first, when you told him you did not want him to talk to Sans with you, let alone for you, he was...irritated. 

“I only wish to help fix any of your problems,” He says with a faint sigh, bringing his left hand up to lightly massage his temple, his irritation was still growing, and he couldn't stop himself from commenting further.

“If he makes you feel unsafe with his words then _maybe it's time I teach him how to bite his tongue.”_ Gaster growls, bearing his teeth slightly, this time not bothering to hold back the malice in his voice. He didn't even realize his extra aggression until you quoted your mantra to him. 

“I don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid, remember?” You said, a soft smile on your face and with that endlessly endearing determined look in your eyes. Did you know just how much you pulled him in?

You had used his sensory magic on him again, but you apologized for forcefully calming him. You still did not know when you were using his magic, he would really have to explain things to you better. Thankfully, you assured him that you had a plan that included him being there and that he was to hide behind the light of your soul while you attempted to confront Sans on your own.

“I would never leave you behind to talk about something as...personal for us as this, it involves both of us after all.” You say to him, giving his hand a small squeeze. 

Gaster blinked a few times, he didn't even realize that's what had been making him incredibly anxious, but as soon as you said that; a huge weight seemed to lift off him. 

He agreed to your plan on one condition if Sans tried to touch you, friendly or otherwise he would take measures to make sure it never happened again. You told him he couldn't hurt Sans but honestly, Gaster only needed to scare him to end this. Showing Sans what he was now completely able to summon now, thanks to you; should do the trick just fine. He would have to introduce you to his canine-battle magic aspirations first and before that he would have to explain what battle magic was. One step at a time, he had to explain your new abilities first.

Gaster explained to you that your abilities were triggered by your bond to him and slightly existed before, to a dangerously unbalanced extent. He told you about how they were non-restricted now because you were able to bypass the need to drain magic energy from him, and instead draw that energy from the void by yourself. However, you had limitations, you could not overexert the abilities of a human body and a soul with betrayal lines, with juvenile monster magic, no matter how great your energy. 

He should have also warned you not to wish greatly to force someone to do something, although that particular incubus ability required constant concentration. Gaster refused to believe you would ever attempt something like mind control, the exhaustion you’d feel if you somehow ever tried would deter you from continuing to attempt that kind of magic anyway. He told you it was nothing you would ever need to worry about and thankfully, you allowed him to drop the subject. 

“It's almost not fair, there's a bunch of new things I'm getting to experience here, but you just get to be like, a supercharged battery?” You had said to him with an endearing giggle, it was light-hearted, but he understood you still knew the severity of this all. You seemed to wish to ignore it for the moment and lighten the mood however and Gaster certainly wasn't opposed to changing the subject.

So with a knowing look in both his and your eyes, Gaster agreed to concede the serious moment to one that would relieve the tension for you both, and he slightly leans in so that he too was just a bit closer to you, matching your posture slightly, before responding. 

“Not exactly Ember, being a ‘supercharged battery’ as it were, has more advantages than you know of my dear.” Gaster says, he needs you to ask him further about this, so he may show you the creature he planned to terrify Sans with. 

“Okay you got me, I'm definitely curious, what _other advantages_ do you now have then?” You say taking his bait perfectly. 

_“Well,_ I believe I am able to summon a creature that I was never fully capable of summoning before, for one… and I could show you _if you’d allow it,_ ” Gaster says to you, his last few words soft as he brings his right hand up to lightly caress the left side of your face. 

You always melted for him in moments like this, it never failed to give him a strange feeling, all he had been doing was showing you basic respect; yet you acted as if that kindness was not often extended to you. The thought of anyone treating you with any less respect made his blood boil. This is exactly why he planned to scare Sans straight, at the very least, with the beast he cultivated and perfected while he had time to think it over in the void. Sans only knew the very beginnings of his blueprints, only capable of summoning the skeletal head of the creature Gaster had originally created. Gaster never had enough magic energy to safely summon his creature (while still having the energy to tame it) for very long, but even a small sliver of your energy made it more than possible to summon his creation safely for an endless length of time. 

It may startle you slightly at first, but he was confident you wouldn't be afraid when he showed you he had complete control over it. The creature that humans technically even had a name for, although it's believed to still be one of myth, even with monsters on the surface. He would have to calmly explain to you, that his 8 foot tall three-headed snow-white Cerberus, which was capable of firing a concentrated laser that could easily disintegrate anything including souls; would not hurt you. In fact, it may even need to protect you one day, so first impressions mattered after all. 

When Gaster asked you for your permission to examine your medical records, your response sent him into a sort of panic, that he did not immediately understand.

“ _Yes_ Gaster, you have my permission to know exactly everything else that's broken with me.” You said, way too calmly for Gasters liking. 

He did not understand the rush of anger and concern inside him in response to your self-deprecating comment and he moved to pull you close to him quickly. In his rush he _may_ not have realized his quick movements caught you off balance, he caught you of course, and held onto you for a moment.

“What the heck Gaster?” You said to him as you laughed lightly, but when you finally looked up at him to meet his gaze, you could recognize he was bothered. 

“I refuse to believe there is truly anything broken with you, Ember.” Gaster says, your body was the vessel that brought your soul, and everything wonderful about you to him, he did not see any true fault in you. 

He wanted you to be healthy and safe of course, but your chemical makeup was not in your control and had nothing to do with your true existence. Before your bond to him, he gave you space when you would start to speak negatively about yourself, he thought it was best to not get involved. However, he refused to take that chance now, you may be mentally spiraling again as you frequently did and he had to prevent any further betrayal lines from appearing, after all. 

“I plan to learn everything there is to know of your past, present, and future, so I can be prepared to do everything possible to prevent any more lines from appearing on your soul.” Gaster reassured you. 

Then you told him how you believed you would have been dead without meeting him and he told you slightly of the visions he saw when the two of you had bonded, the frostbitten, sharp pain that covered your body in your darkest times. 

“The constant feeling of isolation even when surrounded by others, I felt the same cold nothingness that I’d experienced in the void, in the shadows of your soul when we bonded, my flame.” He said, Gaster avoided telling you that he also saw the blood spilled in the wake of your pain, he would never let that happen again. 

He met your lips in a kiss, the only way he knew how to successfully convey to you, that he would never leave you alone again. Gaster also started to understand why his kind would easily kill to protect their soulmates from any form of pain.

Gaster left you with your equalizer, Adelya may help level you out before your talk you had planned to have with Sans later. He really needed you balanced so he could show you Cerberus, so that when Sans did meet you at the creek, Gaster could show Sans how much more dangerous Gaster could be with you bonded to him now. Gaster planned to step in at the first sign of Sans inevitable faulty mishap, he knew with your words and his presentation of his summoned creature, this would all finally be over. 

* * *

You had a lot to tell Adelya a lot, but there were certain things you decided not to tell her; mainly because you did not feel it was your place to. Apparently Sans had made a deal with Adelya, that if she could get you to ask Gaster a handful of questions, and you didn't freak out about his answers; then Sans would drop his concern. Adelya listed off the questions she had been told to convince you to ask Gaster.

  1. What monster type was Gaster and what were his capabilities.
  2. How you could possibly be harmed by his abilities.
  3. What was Gaster's history of experiments, and how they had affected others and might also put you in danger?



You actually found it quite ironic, and you explained your amusement when you simply told Adelya, Gaster had already told you everything Sans was worried about. You avoided telling Adelya about Gaster's monster type, but you did however tell her that Gaster informed you of his species and abilities. She was concerned at first as to why you wouldn't just outwardly tell her, but then she rationalized moments after that everyone was entitled to their own privacy. She seemed to believe that if it was actually as dangerous as Sans made it out to be, then you would’ve told her; so she settled on the fact that it was all just Sans overreacting from jealousy. 

You told Adelya that Sans hated Gaster for a few reasons, you chose to start by telling her that Gaster was the technical parent of Sans and Papyrus. You elaborated that he made them with his own two hands and soul energy, explaining that was the reason for the holes in Gasters hands; but you didn’t mention the cracks in his soul. You weren't ready to explain the bond just yet, so you continued to explain something Adelya already assumed, Gaster wasn't the ‘warm and fuzzy’ type of parent and Sans resented him for it. Then you explained how Sans also did not approve of Gasters experiments, of betrayal lines and how they basically did not end well for most people. 

Adelya freaked out for a moment until you insisted no one had died, you went on a slight tangent explaining code and betrayal lines, along with Gasters theories for a cure. You did not explain it nearly as well as Gaster had to you, but Adelya was so used to your way of talking she was able to understand you. Adelya was more of a ‘chaotic good’ type to mix with your ‘chaotic neutral’ alignment, and when she realized what you had last night, she let out a heavy sigh.

“So these people knew this would hurt and knew what they were signing up for, but none of them could really handle it?” Adelya asks you, and you gave a slow nod to confirm her comment, slightly nervous about her response.

“Lots of people went through hell and Gaster knew about it, yet he _had to do it_ if his cure-code theory was going to be ready for a bright soul with betrayal lines?” She says, you nod again as you watch her mull things over in her head till she too nodded, seeming to assure herself.

“I can see why Sans would be upset, he seems the type to be stubborn and set his morals in stone, but he doesn't seem to hold himself to these standards.” Adelya says with a huff of exhaustion, it was clear Sans must have talked her ear off the other night. 

“So?” You say simply, and Adelya knew what you were asking, she took a deep breath and sighed before continuing.

“So, I don't think I could do what Gaster had to do to get the information he needed, but just because I wouldn't knowingly cause a few pain for the good of many; doesn't mean I think it's completely wrong either.” She says with an understanding look, and you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, and Adelya added an additional comment. 

“I’m not going to sit here and say ‘he should have found a different way’ but the man has been alive for centuries and has more Phds than I have cells in my body. I’m no expert and you seem to believe he is doing all of this to help countless people and vouch for his character, so who am I to question that?” Adelya says, resting a hand on your shoulder to comfort you, and you smile back to her sweetly, there was a different warmth of calm that she was always able to provide you.

“Yeah, that's pretty much how I felt too, I’m really glad you're not freaking out. I knew you wouldn't, but with Sans...obsession with needing to insist Gaster is so awful....and the fact I only just started to realize this morning why Gaster has resentment for him back…” You say trailing off, there was still a lot you had to tell her about.

“It may help me understand Sans more if you told me about that too, Rockstar. Would it be okay if you let me know about it too? Because it also seems to be weighing you down...I really can't be in the dark any more hun, it's exhausting.” Adelya asks you gently, and you nod with an apprehensive expression you begin to unfold about everything you could safely tell her. 

You told Adelya that Gaster had been pulled into the void back in the underground, you told her about his invention and how he watched Sans slowly give up trying to save him over the years. She had to console you while you finally had the chance to sob about that alone, you really could not handle the thought of a prison like that. You told her about how when Gaster fell into the void he saw the possibility of your soul and saw that vision again when he was freed of it. You informed her on how the void gave Gaster certain abilities and you explained how Sans could only teleport through the void, but Gaster could do so much more. You went on a small tangent as you theorized Sans may also be harnessing the void for his dimensional box room-trick, and that if Sans could do that Gaster definitely could too.

Adelya took a moment to ask you a rather important question.

“Wait, so you're telling me, he saw your soul thousands of years ago, then again fifteen years ago and he waited here at MEU for you??” She said, piecing some of the puzzles of this all together in her head. 

“He said it was only a possibility, of just one possible reality...but he held onto the image of my soul in his mind the whole time he stayed in the void...then again for fifteen years when he came out of it yeah.” You said, your voice almost causal, unaware of how desensitized you were to this now. 

“Well, _NOW_ I understand the death threats, I mean, I’m sure it was just dark humor on his part right?” Adelya asks you, and even though you didn't really know the answer to that, you gave a small dip of your head as if to agree with her, and she continued on her rant. 

“I can see why anyone who went through all that has a fucked up sense of humor and I mean, after so long to actually find the missing ingredient in his cure thing he-...oh god that's so sad. Gaster is so set on finding this cure because he knows how awful the void is huh?” Adelya rambles out, looking at you with a nervous pitiful expression, realizing she may have set you off to cry again. 

You had been able to safely cry with her about it earlier and you felt like this information had finally balanced itself in your mind. Of course, it still upset you greatly, but you seemed to realize that all you could do about it now was make a better future for you and Gaster. So you told that to Adelya, letting her know that you would be there for him to help him find the cure, and how he would make your dreams come true too. You told Adelya you loved Gaster and she was worried about your fast falling until she started to realize how romantic this all was a predestined fated meeting. Then, she seemed to think of something that upset her, and she asked you how you were going to handle the experiments if it would still hurt for you.

This was where you finally had to start telling her about your bond, so you decided to prepare her for the news first. 

“Okay so Adelya, I’m going to tell you something really intense next but I need you to understand I want this and not only that but this...situation actually makes me 100% _safer,_ in fact, it may have already saved my life.” You start, the bond between you and Gaster gives you lots of stability, you would never know for sure but you felt that without him you would have been pulled into the void already.

“Alright, I’m nervous but I’ll try my best to understand.” Adelya says, mirroring your serious tone, fixing her posture as best as she could in her bean-bag chair. 

You started by telling her that the booming in your chest was from your betrayal lines and that you had somehow been able to flip their code, but only when your emotions were at their most intense. You explained that this happened when you were singing and that you were fine while singing with positive emotions, but the negative emotions would drain you. You tried to relate it to how an angry argument takes more energy than telling a silly joke. 

Once Adelya understood how your betrayal lines were draining your soul energy whenever you sang upset; you told her that it could have actually caused you to die. You put a hand on her before she could freak out and you had a suspicion you accidentally used sensory magic to keep her calm, but it was for the best as it allowed you to finish your explanation. You assured her it was not a problem anymore, and that before you were like a plug halfway in an outlet before; hovering over a puddle of water. 

“Gaster and I...well, now I’m ‘fully plugged in’ and safe, the puddle of water is still a threat though.” You mumble, you weren't as good at explaining metaphors as you were understanding them, Adelya’s response was proof of that.

“Ember, what in the actual fuck are you talking about, I’m glad your a little less in danger? Don't get me wrong hun, but for _god sakes tell me clearly_ **_why_ ** _already.”_ She says, and you knew if it weren't for her immense patience she would not have made it this far.

“I’m safer now because me and Gaster confessed to each other….we really love each other.” You started, you were going to say more but your long pause caused Adelya to think that was the extent of your answer. 

“Are you trying to tell me _‘the power of love’_ is somehow making you safer?” She said looking at you with a raised eyebrow and you gave her an apathetic look, she got the hint that you hadn't finished fully explaining things yet. 

“Sorry, sorry; continue please,” Adelya says, a bit calmer.

“After we confessed... _we made the decision to bond with one another.”_ You say rather quickly, your face heating up and your ears burning, you couldn't look Adelya in the eye. She was able to keep up with your rambles, however, and her response was one you didn't consider. 

“Ember...I don't know whether to congratulate you….or call you ridiculous!” Adelya says, her face in a mix of shock and denial. 

You thought she would act one way or another, you did not know how to react to both at once. Either she was happy for you and you would have to explain how serious a bond is for monsters, or she was upset and you had to explain that you would be okay. You did not know how to go about this but you figured you can respond to each separately, choosing to pick the negative things to defend first. So you started explaining to her how if you were bonded to someone as serious and intelligent as Gaster, then there really was something special between you and him. She only knew as much as you when it came to soul bonds with monsters, so as she patiently listened to your first comment, you also had to tell her that bonds were considered more serious than marriage to monsters.

Before she could get nervous again you then explained the way Gaster made you feel, the endless warmth you felt, you did not know how to explain it well but you tried your best. You knew as you explained how you felt this new comfort Gaster gave you, that Adelya wasn't offended. The way you talked about your experiences with Gaster it sounded like there had been no one else there for you in your life before him, but she knew you of course weren't saying that. You valued and loved her so much, that was something that did not need to be said, although you still thanked her for always being there for her when others gave up multiple times as you continued to spill your heart out to her. 

You ended your speech by saying that this was just something so new and mostly unknown that it was a leap you were willing to take, and you asked if she would support you through it. She of course said yes, and the two of you hugged as you said your last few thoughts on the matter. 

“There aren't any other monster/human couples out there who went through what I and Gaster did before and after we bonded, Adelya.” You say softly, retreating from your hug with Adelya, as she looks at you understandingly. 

“All we know is that this is right, his visions...and my soul's condition they had to have happened for a reason right? Before our bond, at the beginning of the semester, I probably gained one too many betrayal lines that finally tipped the scale...we don't exactly know what triggered things. I’ve thought that maybe I subconsciously figured out how to flip the void code when I sang, after being around Gaster since he's the only other person who can do something like that. I could have died trying to do what I loved most.” You say deep in thought, Adelya seems to be thinking hard on your words too, and when the two of you look back at each other she takes a moment to say something. 

“I don't want to doubt anything here hun, I want to make it clear that I believe you and I _want_ to believe Gaster...but you're sure he bonded to you because his feelings are true and not because he's obsessed with your soul, right?” Adelya asks gently, and you weren't offended since you could tell that these were not her own worries, they were things Sans has no doubt mentioned and Adelya only wanted to make sure there were no stones left unturned. 

Of course, you remember you did worry about that at first, but after the two of you bonded you could feel Gasters emotions, flowing through your soul that mixed with your own. Last night when he had been worried about you hearing him confirm he was indeed an incubus, you felt how worried he was of hurting you. There was a moment where you could tell he almost wanted to give you an out, he loved you and was worried if he would be able to control himself if he let loose. You already knew you would be safe and when you bare your soul and body to Gaster to prove you wouldn't leave him, your bond felt like it grew much stronger. 

“When we kissed for the first time at the creek, afterward I seemed to be able to see right through his poker face when everyone else could not. I don't know why, all I know is that my world fell out from under me, and he built a new one around me in just a few days...earlier today he told me that he had only just started to live this new life with me. He felt the same way from the start, although I don't think he would admit that around others and I don't need him to, to believe him.” You say, your voice light and airy as if you were floating on a cloud as you explained to Adelya. You were staring off at nothing in particular but switched your focus so you looked Adelya in the eye as you said your next few sentences. 

“I know I can believe him Adelya because it's the exact same way I've felt this whole time, we've both given each other a new start. If things go to hell, then I would still think it was worth it, because the betrayal lines would have killed me without him anyway. We still don't know what's going to happen, and I’m sure there's going to be a lot of people who are going to be worried for me or think I can't handle this, but I need you to not be one of them. I'm choosing to believe in this and I need you to do the same.” You say, speaking to someone other than Gaster with true confidence and passion for the first time in years. 

Adelya was getting teary-eyed at your speech and hugged you again holding you tight against her as she spoke words of encouragement. 

“It's been so long since I've seen the fire in your eyes be so bright hun, of course, I’m with you through this, I could never doubt you after that.” Adelya says, sniffling and giggling at the absurdity of how overwhelmed you both were. 

When the two of you had calmed down, there were only two more things you had to explain, funny enough the one you thought would be the hardest, ended up being the shortest explanation. When you mentioned to Adelya your odd ability to use Gaster's magic without any resistance, she simply accepted it as just another part of the whole insane situation. She understood perfectly fine that you could also use void abilities, but couldn't teleport or ever really use Gaster’s battle magics; since they would require too much power. You told her that Gaster said he benefited from your soul energy by apparently being able to summon battle magic he could not before and that he even wanted to demonstrate it for you later. Adelya only had one small question on if that would take too much energy and when you assured her it would not, that seemed to be the end of that conversation. 

You did not expect that the last subject that needed to be discussed would end up getting the biggest reaction, but then again you did make sure to save the best for last. You gave Adelya the folder you had looked at yesterday morning and you had no idea how you were able to keep a straight face as she started to look through it curiously. You figured you might be learning a bit of restraint from being around Gaster so long, and as she started to _absolutely lose her marbles_ over the news that he had paid for both of your tuitions and expenses; you just couldn't continue to hold back your excitement. 

So after lots of laughter and jumping up and down, and hugs and ‘ohmygod’s she seemed completely understanding of the whole situation. Nothing like the reminder that your best friend's new soulmate cares so much about her, that he makes sure her friends are happy too, to remind her that Gaster really loves you. 

However, Adelya seemed to already know one more bit of information that you forgot to mention, so as she tried her best to catch her breath and regained her composure, she asked an important question.

“Wait, wait, so...monsters can see that you're bonded though right?” She says pausing her frantic movements and looking at you and you nod to confirm. 

“Hence why I have to talk to Sans, why he may flip out and step out of line, and why when Gaster comes with me, he is going to stay out of San’s line of sight.” You say, sounding as if you were briefing Adelya and yourself of the plan for this afternoon for the one-hundredth time. Adelya looks at you with slight concern but was overall calm since she knew Gaster would step in if needed.

“There is gonna be a huge fight huh?” Adelya says, raising a brow at you.

“I made Gaster promise he could only come out if Sans tried to touch me and even if he does I told him he couldn't hurt Sans.” You said a bit exhausted, and Adelya gave you a disbelieving look. 

“Uhuh, well...good luck with _that.”_ She says

_“Thanks.”_ You respond with an apathetic expression.

The two of you could only keep your ‘serious straight faces’ for a few moments, before the two of you burst into laughter, still all-to-amused at where life has steered you to get to this moment. Then you feel a warm rush of comfort through your soul before you heard an echo from Gaster ring out in your mind.

_(“I’m assuming things went just fine then, my dear?”)_ He says to you, from however far away he was. 

_(“Yeah you could tell we were laughing after all that stress, huh?”)_ You echo back as you and Adelya caught your breaths and began re-gaining your composers. 

_(“Correct, my flame.”)_ Gaster echoes back in response. 

_(“See you soon, then.”)_ You say to him, and you feel another comforting fulfillment in your soul, it was almost equivalent to the sensation you got when you hugged him. 

Gaster did not respond, but you knew he heard you anyway, so you turned your full attention back to Adelya again. After you [changed your clothes](https://imgur.com/a/HOPm5y6), it was around 6:15 pm and you helped Adelya pack the last of your clothes into a few duffle bags and threw them into the backseat of her car. There were only a few weeks left in September and it was going to start getting cold soon, by the end of October it would be too cold to wear certain things in your wardrobe; so you made an effort to wear all your cute skirts and tops before you freeze trying to do so later. As you packed your stuff into Adelya’s car, you also brought a bag full of your makeup and other comfort items. Adelya told you that she would pick out a room today but then go back to the dorm to pack her stuff up, mentioning she would just crash there again tonight since packing could take a while for her.

You were going to drop off your stuff at the house with her before you went to the creek, but the two of you got distracted looking at cat memes in the car to lighten the mood, and before you knew it you had to leave to meet Gaster at the creek. Adelya told you not to worry though, she said she would drop all your stuff off outside of yours and Gasters bedroom on her way up to the third floor to find a room. You thanked her plenty of times, and as the two of you reached the creek, she told you to call or text her if you needed anything. 

Stepping out of the car you felt a familiar [magnetic field](https://youtu.be/TK6W9sN2ae4) that you could only assume was your ability to tell Gaster was around. You said goodbye to Adelya and after you watched her car disappear back down the mountain trail road, you turned to walk the few minutes it would take to get down to the creek bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adelya's like "bruh, good luck." Embers like "Gee thanks bud." lol
> 
> Also, I'm starting a new band called 'my chemical imbalance'.
> 
> If your hungering for more romance and you did not listen to the song at the end, you should! Its super cute <3 https://youtu.be/TK6W9sN2ae4
> 
> Also please check out the tumblr <3 you can message me any time and my asks are open :3 https://somewhere-between-red-and-orange.tumblr.com/
> 
> -🔥


	12. Follow You Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Just because it may seem easier to refuse to feel anything, so you aren't open to inevitable stress, does not mean it actually saves you... or anyone else the pain. It would only postpone it, at best.” Gaster says, his hold on you gripping a bit tighter.
> 
> ________________________________________________________________________
> 
> The first thing you saw as you watched safely from a few feet behind Gaster, was a few faintly blue sparks that appear in sporadic places around the surface of the clearing. You looked over to Gaster to see he was focused, but definitely confident and you briefly remembered how much he enjoyed showing off. Then again, what you witnessed next was definitely enough of a reason to justify gloating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I take back what I said, All this wonderful fluff had to happen to resolve a lot of leftover angst! Also, I sectioned this and the next chapter out for this update so I can really deliver on my promise for smut in the next update. Now that certian things are finally adressed and taken care of, there is lots of time for sexy times, lol.
> 
> A small warning, spiraling Gaster and heavy themes...? It's happening, hoo boy it's happening, here we go....  
> ( you will need this ) https://lingojam.com/W-D-Gaster
> 
> -🔥

Your walk down to the creek only took a few minutes and as you walked down a few rocks that served as a stable way to carefully step into the shallow creek bed, you gave a few light kicks to the water. Your boots were a slight ‘platform style’ but they were heavy-duty and built for stability, so you didn't need to worry about slipping on the slick bed of the creek. You were enjoying the peaceful sound of light rippling water that passed over the various rocks and logs that ran down the length of the winding creek, then you heard a voice from up on the bank. 

“I don't understand why you enjoy standing directly in the creek,” Gaster says, and you turn slightly to your left to see him looking down at you, a slightly amused expression on his face. He was wearing a black coat that was similar to his usual lab coat in length, just classier and you take a moment to think of how handsome he looks in all black. 

“It seems you can do everything you usually do from here on the edge, without the risk of falling in the water.” He says, and you shake your head and smile up at him before replying.

“What can I say?” You tease, smirking as you begin walking over to the flat stones that served as your ‘steps’ to get back up the bank.

“I like to live dangerously.... also I can't find cool rocks from up there.” You say, the first half of your sentence with a sultry tone, the second with a more light-hearted one. 

As you reach the last stone ‘step’ Gaster offers you a hand to ensure you did not trip and you take it gratefully, thanking him in the process. Once you were safely upon the bank of the creek with him, you ask about the dimensional tracker.

“So, were you able to add the upgrade to my phone then?” You ask him, and Gaster nods, reaching into his coat to grab your phone and hand it back to you. 

You take it back gently, you think about how you have to use it soon to ask Sans to meet you here and the anxiety in your chest starts to build. The grip on your phone tightens in your hand and Gaster can sense your tension, but you know it wasn't very hard to figure out what you were worrying over in your head. 

“Ember?” Gaster says, and you do your best to snap out of your anxious headspace before it could get the chance to worsen, but your thoughts wouldn't stop spiraling. 

You look up at him and give him a nervous look, you give a short tense sigh and you put your phone in the pocket of your skirt. Well, at least you had that going for you, a skirt with pockets? It helped give you a slight moment of happiness, maybe the world isn't _so_ bad.

“Sorry, I mean _I know_ you’re going to be with me and _I know_ it will only be a disaster if I tried to avoid this...” You say, a bit apprehensive, you knew you wanted to do this alone and you knew you could do it, but no matter what it was most likely going to be stressful. 

“I understand you don't want me to, but I feel the need to remind you I can still speak for you if you wish it.” Gaster says, bringing his hand from his coat pocket to lightly touch your shoulder. 

Since he did not need to touch you any more to send you his morphine type magic you knew his gesture was a compassionate one. You knew you could do this on your own, this wasn't the big deal you were making it out to be, it's just words, all conversations were just vibrations through the air. What is there to be afraid of?

“If I just remind myself you're there I think I’ll be alright, thank you though.” You say a bit softly, but your mind is still spinning, so you make an effort to change the subject; _even you_ are sick of hearing yourself worry.

_“So,_ weren't you gonna show me something cool you can summon with all the extra energy you have now?” You say playfully as you look up at Gaster with a slightly faulty smile, who seemed suspicious of your sudden mood change, but was willing as ever to keep up with you and adapt to it. 

“Something like that, yes.” Gaster says, a faintly amused smile, it seemed he was impressed by your ability to push passed your racing thoughts.

“However,” Gaster started, nodding his head, gesturing to you to slowly follow up the trail with him as he spoke. You followed behind him deeper into the forest trail as you listened to him speak. 

“We will need a clearing, and level ground, there is one in the forest a ways from here.” Gaster says and before you could ask why he did not just teleport the two of you, he continued to explain. 

“It is not too far and the walk there will give me time to prepare you.” He says, and you raise an eyebrow at him questionably as the two of you walked, the sound of your shoes hitting the slight gravel of the trail as it crunched beneath your boots, you replied as you followed beside him. 

“Alright, I'm all ears.” You say calmly, and Gaster doesn't take a moment of hesitation as he speaks.

“I am sure you wish your conversation with Sans to be peaceful, but It would be impossible to end the tension for everyone involved if Sans doesn't also get a chance to question and judge me too.” Gaster says, and you realize he is right, if Sans doesn't get a chance to talk to Gaster, he won't be satisfied. 

You stayed silent, not sure what to say, so Gaster was able to elaborate more as you listened. 

“He will need to hear confirmation from me and you to let this go, we will both need to personally shut his complaints down.” He says, then takes a breath tilting his head slightly as if he accepted a truth to himself.

“However, you are right. If I were to be present from the start, there would only be a fight, Sans is too hot-headed to listen to me at this point. Which In a way, might _partially_ be my fault as I may have...threatened him the last time I saw him.” Gaster says reluctantly, and you can't help but giggle. 

“Seriously? Ohmygosh I _knew_ it.” You say, and Gaster pauses walking to look at you questionably, you stop too, smiling as you tell him the source of your amusement. 

“I mean, _I knew_ the two of you were shit-talking each other at the creek. Sans totally looked like you shook him up with whatever you said to him.” You say light-heartedly, so many crazy things have happened recently it all just seems unreal at this point, why bother stressing over or fighting it? 

Something in you seemed to snap again. 

* * *

Gaster teleported to the creek at 7 pm as he asked you to meet with him there, and as he got close in the void he could see your soul and he teleported close to you; upon the bank of the creek. It's not that Gaster really cared much about dirt or his shoes, he just found getting himself dirty for no reason was unnecessary and a waste of time to clean himself off. However, you seemed so at peace as the sunlight that peaked past the trees glistened on the water around you. There was a different kind of beautiful in the way you melted into nature, a stark contrast of celestial beauty against the natural world around you. 

You seemed on the edge of a panic attack for a moment as you thought over your conversation you had to have with Sans today, but something in you allowed you to push past it and you seemed to want to change the subject. Gaster was happy to follow your lead in that sense, as he began to explain he would have to talk to Sans too, if they wanted this to really be over. As he walked with you in tow, he explained he would need more space and privacy to summon his creature. When he admitted to you that he could not be present from the start, admitting it would only cause the hot-headed Sans to not listen to your words; he had apparently confirmed your suspicion that he had mentally bickered with Sans the other day at the creek. Gaster was about to respond to you, but then something felt _off._

You had underlying anxiety in your chest up until a moment ago, he could feel it in his own soul. Then, just now it had disappeared and was replaced by a feeling he could not quite pin. In a way, Gaster could and couldn't understand this new emotion radiating off you, but it concerned him, even more, when he realized. The feeling coming from you was similar to the feeling Gaster had, when he realized Sans had given up on him from the void. 

Gaster was confident he would get out of the void one day, but seeing Sans give up broke something inside him. All at once, he had realized he would be in the void for much longer than he had imagined, time seemed to not matter after that and a bitter taste of disappointment filled his soul. He knew he would get out, but he also knew he still had a lot to face to get there and so, for his mental state to survive through it, he shut his desires and wants and emotions deep, deep in his soul... and kept them locked there. 

The only way he was able to realize this, was because you had started to help them slowly escape that prison he made for himself, even after he was pulled from the void. He had not been actually freed until you had given him a new point of view and so feeling _you_ shut yourself off concerned him greatly. 

Gaster did not know what to do, if he addressed this now, your crying would surely make you too weak and unprepared to do what you had wanted to do today. You may feel comforted, but still Sans would take advantage of that vulnerability, while Gaster hated that he could feel you shut yourself off; he also could not blame you. For now, it may be smartest for him to allow this defense mechanism until the two of you have said what you had to today with that good-for-nothing failure of an experiment. Gaster never had this much hate for Sans, not until he started creating problems for you, then Gaster _couldn't stand him_.

For now, Gaster will play along with this pretend calm performance you had been putting on and when the day ends he would make sure to talk to you about this. He did have an idea on how to stabilize you though, maybe even distract you enough to be happy again. First, he had to answer your comment.

“Yes well, I was rather bothered by what he said to you, dear.” He started.

“Which Is why, once you're done talking to him, let me know and I will step out with what I plan to summon and show you today.” Gaster said, starting to walk again, his pace slowed so that you could keep up, your height difference from him made it hard for you to do so otherwise. Gaster knew both of you could get what you wanted with this plan of his, but he needed to run it by you first if this would work, and you asked him to clarify as you also continued to walk next to him.

“Oh?” You stated, “How exactly is your battle magic going to help us without you or your magic hurting him?” You say, rightfully skeptical of his comment, and he explained. 

“Well Ember, I believe _intimidation_ is all that's needed here and with your energy mixed with mine I think I am more than capable of successfully doing so now.” Gaster assures you, and you ask the question that he needed you to ask next. 

“Oh, so a scare tactic with empty threats huh? That’s actually a good idea, I don't know why I'm suddenly so surprised, you _would_ have a logical solution like this.” You said, your soft smile shifting into a teasing one as you continued.

“Even though you have all this stuff figured out when it comes to stuff like this, everything else about me seems to throw you for a loop huh?” You said to him, and Gaster would normally tease you back, but your comment was most likely the result of your increasingly unstable state and he could not get a proper read to know your reaction for sure. Then, you continued to talk when he was unable to form a proper response.

“That's okay, I don't even know what I'm doing half the time, I throw myself for a loop constantly. Plus, wouldn't you get bored with me if I always did what you expected? I've gotta keep up this strong confidence if I'm ever going to make it as a singer anyway, no time for second thoughts for me.” You said with a giggle that clashed with the severity of your words, you were starting to spiral again and Gaster could tell a breakdown was imminent. 

He wanted to comfort you and tell you that no matter what you did, he was always endlessly interested in you, but if he started to open these feelings to you, your facade would surely crumble too. He understood more than anyone you needed this wall you built up right now to face Sans alone at first as you wanted, that was the best thing for you in this situation, right? He fought himself internally and he could only hope you could feel his disagreement in your soul as he could feel your unstable waves in his. 

“Although, I’ve heard everyone in the royal family is particularly strong, so what are you going to summon that could actually scare off Sans?” You say, and Gaster again had an odd sense of connection to you as he observed you wear this mask of stability around him, that he of course saw right through. 

He wondered briefly if you knew, just how much Gaster understood your state, he understood this more than the sudden warmth he had when you told him you loved him. After he answered this question for you, he should attempt the idea he had to calm you down, _before_ you met Cerberus.

“The beast I can summon is one of both monster and human fables, it was something I was working on cultivating before my disappearance in the underground. I left the blueprints in my lab, and Sans seemed to be able to materialize just the skeletal skull of my creation since that's all I had completed at the time.” Gaster said, and you replied in an oddly cheerful tone. 

“Ohhh I see, you figured out what you needed to do to finish it while you were spending all that time trapped in the void huh? So what actually is this fabled creature? Cause you’ve got my attention.” You giggled, you had been speaking as if you were casually talking about the weather.

To anyone else, your comments may seem disrespectful with the oddly chipper tone you used, anyone else wouldn't understand your unfitting mood change. Of course, Gaster knew your true opinions and was not bothered in the slightest, but It still gave him cause for concern. It made no sense to Gaster at first since, any time he barely even mentioned the void before, you had become distressed. The fact that you were not only bringing up the subject of the void yourself so casually but your refusal to address it yourself finally caused Gaster to realize.

You may be reaching the peak of a manic episode.

Gaster was irritated he had not realized before, the week leading up to all this was such an obvious pattern of mixed mania behaviors that he should have seen sooner. The irony is you are in one of his psychology-related courses and he was only just now learning that your bi-polar mania had been steadily leading to a manic episode. He looked at your medical records while you were with Adelya today and learned a few things from the paperwork that was sent from your apparent extensive list of therapists. 

Your opposite mood polarities, your anxiety, and avoiding stressful situations, just to break down later. Putting yourself in risky situations, not understanding the severity of certain aspects, then when you do you let it swallow you whole. You had been put on suicide watch more then a few times, and Gaster started to worry if your ability to be so content around him, was it simply because of your manic episode? Did you really have the same magnetic pull around him as he did with you? Or were you only driven to him because of your inability to recognize your risks, was he just another choice you would end up regretting? He believed your emotions were real, but many people who experience mania make decisions that they later regret and there was a fear that uncontrollably grew in his stomach when he thought about it. 

Mania could last weeks or even months, sure you feel this way now, but what happens when you finally crash from your mania? Would you regret this all, would you regret telling him you loved him?

Gaster's insecurities were new to him and rather than allowing himself to think this way any longer, he instead switched to a frame of mind that was more familiar to him.

What would it matter if you regret your choices? You **couldn't** leave him _even if you wanted to_ , so why should he bother dwelling on this any further? You were his _forever_ and there would be no going back from this anyway. Gaster reminded himself again he did not want to hurt you and he switched to focusing on your wavering stability again. 

Your soul had not gained any further betrayal lines and it hadn't been dimmed either, but the red and orange colors of your soul _had_ stopped swirling. It was almost as if your soul was paused, or held in [suspension](https://youtu.be/NQizeQSDTFM). 

You seemed to be aware of this, you were consciously making the choice to do this to yourself, as evident by your still ever-bright soul; you were still in control. If your emotions had been overwhelming and getting the better of you, your soul would be dimmed and weak, but it was the other way around as your soul was still shining brilliantly. Gaster could see through to your motive, you were too determined to put yourself in a situation where you would be hurt, and smart enough to realize a way you could avoid it entirely. Then, you were brave and strong enough to actually succeed in knowingly shutting off your brain from your soul. 

You decided you would hold yourself together by throwing your emotions into a sort-of purgatory and something in Gaster told him to snap you out of this before you could do so completely. He hesitated, however, because as he said, at the moment it may be best that you were in this state. Gaster thought of the logistics in this situation, that your mania would allow you to be detached and in extension may also allow you to mentally shield yourself. It could be easier in a way, it would help stop you from going through the imminent stress during your conversation with Sans.

However, something else screamed at him for thinking this way, it told him It wasn't healthy, that it would hurt you more in the end, under the current circumstances. You’ve gone and done exactly what he would've done if he was in your situation and it made Gaster realize at this moment that this method was extremely flawed. That formula worked when he was alone, it may have worked for you in the same way when you were alone too, but you and he were not alone; not anymore at least. The variables have changed and so the formula for this solution was no longer the same. 

You were right, always seemed to amaze Gaster, to ‘throw him for a loop’ and ‘keep him on his toes’. An ability like this, one he had not considered that required as much self-control as it did reckless madness, was endlessly impressive to him. However, you only needed to exist and live freely for you to hold his attention for as long as time itself, so as much as he admired your ability and strength; he knew he had to stop you from falling further. Gaster had an idea to gently stabilize you as best he could before he could get you to listen to him and avoid you sinking deeper into this state you switched into. The pain in his chest told him this would cause irreversible damage otherwise, he wouldn't let you self-destruct, he would never let anyone hurt you, that included yourself. 

“I will tell you when we get there, it's only a few minutes away from here anyway, for the meantime, Ember, would you mind singing for me?” Gaster asks you, he knew his voice wavered, as casual as he tried to sound. You did not seem to notice, however, and Gaster just hoped that something that could soothe both you and him, would help him pull you out of your own prison you tried to lock yourself in. Your voice was powerful, in more ways than one and Gaster believed he may have understood its ability better as he listened to you.

* * *

“Ohhh I see, you figured out what you needed to do to finish it while you were spending all that time trapped in the void huh? So what actually is this fabled creature? Cause you’ve got my energy and attention.” You giggled, you started to list these things off like facts, you had to keep acting like Gaster did when you first met, not affected by emotion. 

Because, if you were to calmly get through this afternoon, you had to do what you learned to do best. You had to shut down and cut off the emotional tap from flowing from your heart to your brain and it was time to start now. 

You have to speak about your emotions to Sans with a straight face, an unbiased tone, sure it may take _quite a while_ to break down the wall of your building right now but you would be okay in the end. Sometimes you would put on a face that won't go away and it would take you much longer than you would’ve liked to take off. In a weird twisted form of trust and dependency, you decided to leave it up to Gaster to snap you out of it, surely he would realize something was wrong eventually.

You suppose it would be unfair to rely on Gaster for that, but it had to be less annoying than the waterworks and extremely probable additional betrayal lines. You always kept control even as you crawled into your shell, your guarded defense mechanism built itself up and you stayed safe. The comments that may slip out as you start to let go of your hold on your emotions, tend to be ones that you don't mean or weren't able to say correctly. You would come off as rude or insensitive, but that would only cause people to hate and stay away from you, which you decided was better than fooling them into giving you sympathy. 

Something in you told you Gaster could tell what was wrong and that he was worried, but he did not comment on it and that only convinced you further to put your emotions on pause. You didn't blame him for wanting to avoid your emotional breakdown and if anyone could pull you out of this state of mind, he could and you trusted him. You could shut your emotions away in a different kind of void, where you weren't afraid, because you knew you would be safe. You can't hurt the feelings of someone who has none, to begin with.

This didn't mean you would be stone cold, or mono-toned, many people seem to believe you must act that way in this kind of state. It may be true for some, but everyone differs and in this state your outward appearance was more unnaturally calm, amused, unbothered, and accepting. 

You won't let anything bother you, but not because you aren't listening, your emotions can still observe things from the inside. You're simply deciding on letting a more disconnected version of yourself take over this evening, since you’ve long decided you may not benefit from involving your emotions in the situation. 

You felt worry and another similarity flow through you as you and Gaster walked. You also felt a flow of understanding, of comfort, a communication attempt that was currently locked further down inside your soul. Your current conscious state could not recognize the whisper you faintly admitted to hearing, a mixture of glitching shrills and static and vibrations that you somehow were able to translate, but just barely. 

(✋❄ 🕈✋☹☹ 👌☜ ⚐😐✌✡📪 💣✡ ☞☹✌💣☜ ✋ 🕈⚐☠🕯❄ ☹☜❄ ✡⚐🕆 ☝☜❄ ☹⚐💧❄. ✡⚐🕆 👎⚐☠❄ ☠☜☜👎 ❄⚐ 👎⚐ ❄☟✋💧📪 ❄☼🕆💧❄ ✡⚐🕆 ✌☼☜ 💧✌☞☜ 🕈✋❄☟ 💣☜.)

Then, your mind focused back on Gaster as he asked his question, something that would spark a reaction in you.

“I will tell you when we get there, it's only a few minutes away from here anyway, for the meantime, Ember, would you mind singing for me?” Gaster asks you.

Of course, he knew. He may just be curious, or he may also have realized...the only thing you could do to calm yourself in this state is sing. It's a way to remind you of the memories of emotions you have tied to the songs, it's a method of pulling yourself back from the detached state. You would most likely fall back fully again when you actually faced Sans, but for now you would humor Gaster, you would sing and wait till the time called for you to jump completely into your defensive state. 

_“Before I get any worse?”_ You ask Gaster softly, looking at the dirt path as you walked along it with him, not bothering to worry if you may be wrong about him really knowing what was happening within you because you didn't doubt for a second that he did. 

He gave you a silent nod that you could see in your peripheral vision, still focusing blankly at the world in front of you. He understood this is how you’ve chosen to approach this stressful evening, he knew and was letting you know he wouldn't let it get too bad. He told you this, but not out loud, earlier, just a few minutes ago your brain processed his message. It wasn't an echo, but he _did_ tell you somehow...deep in your soul, you knew he was asking you to stop putting up this guard. 

In this purposeful haze, you already knew what you needed to sing, not that your conscious mind realized that. You don't remember grabbing your phone from your skirt pocket and cueing up the instrumental of [ ‘Follow You Down’ ](https://youtu.be/b0LUZLlhXIU) by lights. Then again when you're in this state you always seemed to be watching yourself from above your body, you didn't remember the unimportant things. You were on autopilot, after all, you couldn't let your inner self be present this evening, but you could let her speak out at this moment, as you sang along the soft music playing through your phone's speakers. 

♫~ _“When…. .the darkness comes,_

 _surrounds you…. in your sleep.”_ ~♫

A song for closing yourself off, your inner self was clearly screaming out for Gaster to understand something he already knew. 

♫~ _“Swa-...-llows up the sun,_

 _I will chase you... to the deep.”_ ~♫

Yes, you would follow him even through his inner turmoil and issues, but would he follow you through yours? He may, but does he deserve to go through your disaster ways of coping and dealing with these things, especially after he's already been through so much? You can't speak for his emotions but you could vocalize yours, even if you can't feel things right now. 

♫~ _“I…. don't know the end,_

 _It's never... how I...thought.”_ ~♫

There was a chance Sans did nothing or didn't care, no matter how unlikely, but you refused to be caught off guard, you learned that lesson 5 years ago, thank you very much. 

♫~ _“Is it real…. or pretend?_

 _Are we free... or are... we not?”_ ~♫

You had been so lost in your singing you did not notice Gaster walk slower, you simply walked at a slower pace to match his, without a second thought. 

♫~ _“Oh if one flame... goes out,_

 _Does the other one gain... or wane?”_ ~♫

Were you relying on him too much? You wonder if your problems will ever become too much for him to still value your presence. What happens if he gets a hold of his issues but you can never fix yours, what if he and you never find a cure? No matter how worried you were or how much you could express your feelings, your actual emotions were still shut off, and you didn't require Gaster's magic to keep calm as you sang with these thoughts.

♫~ _“Or if two flames.. go out,_

 _do they stay the same?”_ ~♫

What if you both stay disasters, there would always be a chance of hardships. Could either of you actually end up helping one another?

♫~ _” So just call me,_

_you know I will be waiting..._

_for you as you walk toward,_

_that redemption sound...”_ ~♫

You knew you would be here for him no matter what and the thought that you will never know for sure if things will work out in the end did scare you before.

♫~ _“You know I'll be,_

_the stillness when you're shaking,_

_and when you fall overboard,_

_I'll follow you down…._

_I'll follow you down down down down down..._

_I'll follow you down down down down down…”_ ~♫

You can't control Gasters emotions, you can't control the way Sans will react, but you can control your own feelings and how you respond to others. 

There was a weird rush of an overwhelmingly warm pressure that seemed to be tugging on the barrier you just built, but you were stubborn and held on as you tried to lose yourself in the lyrics again, as you walked side by side with Gaster. 

♫~ _“Call me... and I'll lift you up..._

 _I'm never... far.. from you.”_ ~♫

You had to keep hiding inside yourself and you knew Gaster knew that too, so why did it feel like his influence inside you, went to sit next to you that sat trying to hide deep in your soul. He did not need to help you, you had to do this on your own or it didn't matter as much, right?

♫~ _“Tell me...when you've had enough..._

 _and I... will carry... you... through.”_ ~♫

Then again, he said before he needed you like you needed him. Gaster said he would have missed you even if he never met you, so maybe, even though your situations look and seem very different...they just might actually be the same. 

♫~ _“Cause if two flames... go out_

 _they stay the sa-ame…”_ ~♫

You took a breath, deeper than the ones before you felt as if you were getting pulled out of the prison you put yourself in internally. 

♫~ _” So just call me,_

_you know I will be waiting..._

_for you as you walk toward,_

_that redemption sound...”_ ~♫

You didn't realize, Gaster seemed to be matching your heavy negative isolation with that of his own, a comforting feeling that he could relate to, it felt like he used it to pull you out of your dissociated blank state. 

♫~ _“You know I'll be,_

_the stillness when you're shaking,_

_and when you fall overboard,_

_I'll follow you down….”_ ~♫

Last night you had shown Gaster that he could safely balance his inner desire, with his composure. He could let loose and not hurt you at the same time. At this moment you felt a balance of your emotional restraint and your emotions break free again. 

♫~ _“I'll follow you down down down down down..._

 _I'll follow you down down down down down…”_ ~♫

In the many, many years you've been using this coping mechanism, you've had many people tell you not to. You never thought someone would show you that you could be open and keep yourself from falling apart, without the need of shutting yourself off entirely. 

♫~ _“I'll follow you down down down down down..._

 _I'll follow you down down down down down…”_ ~♫

The warmth you felt, it was the magnet that pulled you back out, your breath was returning to normal, the haze in your eyes and head cleared and as you sang, it felt like your whole body and soul was a camera lens that focused for the first time in your life. The music strummed on and you sang the last few words softly.

♫~ _” I'll follow you down..._

 _I'll follow you down...”_ ~♫

You stopped walking, wondering why now were your eyes blurry again, but then you blinked. 

_‘Oh’,_ you thought as you brought up your sleeve to quickly wipe the tears out of your eyes, once you could see fine again you realized there was much less tension in your neck. You looked to your right side and up at Gaster, but before you could see his expression you were pulled into his chest in a quick embrace. 

You squeaked in surprise, but the gesture was exactly what you needed as you felt the remaining tension in your soul melt away. Gaster wouldn't let you go and you didn't mind, you were comfortable being held against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body through his soft black sweater that the side of your face rested against. It was a welcomed compassionate feeling as Gaster held you while speaking, almost as if he was reprimanding you. 

“Just because…” Gaster started, but he paused, giving himself a moment to carefully consider his words before continuing.

“Just because it may _seem_ easier to refuse to feel anything, so you aren't open to inevitable stress, does not mean it actually saves you... or anyone else the pain. It would only postpone it, at best.” Gaster says, his hold on you gripping a bit tighter, but not tight enough to hurt. 

“It may be okay to distance yourself in some situations, but it seems you can only do so to the fullest extent, _as with everything you do._ ” Gaster says with a sigh and you feel as if he too would tell you that you were ‘too much’, but his words only further matched your waves of anxiety with his reassurance. 

“I admire that about you, Ember... _I love that about you_. I am here so your endless enchanting energy does not _drain you in the process._ Because I _will not_ and _can not_ stand by as you throw yourself into solitude, not when I am right here, my flame.” Gaster says his silken voice deep and soft, laced with his sorrow as he brought a hand to gently smooth your hair down as if he was lightly petting you. 

He allows you to pull back only slightly so that you can look up at him, and there was an apprehensive, hurt expression on Gasters face that was more than just concerned.

_“Do you feel as if you can not rely on me, am I not able to prevent this pain?”_ Gaster says to you softly, his voice laced with a bitter self-hate and worry.

He seemed disappointed in himself for not somehow preventing you from deciding this self-isolation was your only option. Your expression changes from relief to guilt, it was your fault that he was so upset with himself even after he was the first one to ever pull you out of that headspace so soon. He spoke again when you did not respond.

_“Do you insist on doing this alone, for fear of me not respecting you otherwise?”_ Gaster asks, had he not really understood what he just did for you?

“Gaster...that's not it, I’m just so used to assuming I need to do this alone. I'm used to thinking since I'm on my own, that I can shut off because...because no one else would be affected or care if I did so. I know I just end up hurting myself more, but it stops others from having to deal with me as much.” You said, in a quiet mumble, you couldn't keep eye contact, you only now realized how foolish it was to think that, it's not just you anymore. 

“You must know by now, _that isn't true Ember._ If you are hurting, and insist on doing so alone, it only hurts me too.” Gaster said, as he tried to get you to look at him again, but you were too upset with yourself for throwing such an emotional temper tantrum and hurting him needlessly like this. 

“Dear, I do not wish to constantly doubt your words from here on out, neither of us wants that... I need you to be honest with me, I need your full cooperation if I am to keep you happy.” Gaster says to you and your brain processes his words slowly as they seem to pull you out of a possibly deep depressive episode too.

“I was worried…” you start at a soft mumble.

“Worried that you're going to realize that I'm too much to deal with and that I'm not worth the headache after all.” You look up at Gaster finally as you do as he asked, openly telling him your fears and although his expression screamed that he wanted to say otherwise, he let you continue to speak the thoughts that plagued you. 

“I was worried that, if Sans said something again that hurt me and _I let it hurt me,_ that I would break down again and you would get tired of having to comfort me.” You say sheepishly, and you can see Gaster straining to keep quiet as you continued to speak.

“I'm not used to someone who doesn't leave me after finding out I'm a mess...so I guess a part of me is still worried this isn't real, that you're going to leave, or eventually feel trapped with me.” You say, and you could feel the confusion that bubbled in your soul, switched to amusement as you saw a faint smile threaten the worried expression on Gasters face. 

You were confused at first, as Gaster slightly leaned down to nuzzle his face against the left side of yours and you heard a faint, relieved and exasperated chuckle; before he spoke softly.

_“How is it we have the same concerns?_ Even after all the effort you and I went through to say otherwise, our minds still will not accept easily what our souls already have.” Gaster says, sighing lightly before softly kissing your neck, his tenderness comforted you, further relaxing the tension in your body you had not noticed. 

Then he moved back to look you in the eyes again with admiration for you clear in his expression, Gaster brought his hands up to rest at either side of your face as he gently kept your focus on him. Your heart seemed to spark and felt like it was attempting to start up again, as he continued to comfort you with his words of assurance.

“It is... _unbelievable_ that someone as vibrant and effervescent as you would love someone as...dark and guarded as me. For that same reason, I'm sure it's _even harder_ to believe that I would have the ability to love you endlessly as I do, my flame.” Gaster says, wiping away the tears you were unaware had started to escape from your eyes again.

You did not think Gaster would be the one to perfectly describe how he understood your emotions. Then again, Gaster was elegant in everything he did, even now as he openly confessed, and admitted his faults while also singing your praises. You wanted to cut in, to tell him you felt just as passionately about him, what could such a successful and brilliant ‘doctor of everything’ ever want or benefit from being with you? You stopped yourself from saying so, because you knew Gaster wasn't the kind of person to only want to be with someone for personal gain. You knew that but your mind always seemed to sabotage you, to throw constant negative conspiracy theories at you about anything that you found made you happy.

“I do believe you love me Gaster, I love you too... I’m sorry I didn't...please don't say those things about yourself.” You say sheepishly, then Gaster decided to speak again to admit further what you already knew. 

“I only say what I know to be true, Ember. I felt you shut down, _I saw you force your soul into suspension_ , yet I didn't stop you because I am inexperienced in the consequences of you shutting away your emotions.” Gaster says, pushing a strand of your hair behind your ear, you could see he was nervous as he went on.

“When I became aware of your declining emotional state, I felt a sense of...familiarity that caused me to believe you would be okay to process things in the same way I too have in the past. My mind did not fully run the calculations, only when you started to pull away, did I finally realize It felt wrong...It felt like you were going to a place I could not find.” Gaster said rather rushed, as he admitted a long thought process he finally put together, taking a deep breath he rested his forehead lightly against yours. The two of you shared a quiet moment, you both had your eyes closed and you felt more at peace as he finished his thought with his familiar calm and low silk-woven voice.

“That is why I asked you to sing, you light up every time you do so... and I needed you to open up to me again, I have...this pull of my soul to yours every time you sing _without fail,_ my dear.” Gaster says, his next few lines sounded the most nervous and had the trace beginnings of a desperate plea that you’ve yet to hear from him till now.

You slowly started to realize Gaster may be apprehensive because this might be the first time he has ever had to speak about something so personal and important, that he was completely inexperienced or unprepared for. He moved back slightly so he could lock his eyes back on yours that were still glistening with tears, you brought a hand up to his chest to comfort him and let him know you were okay as he continued to profess to you sweetly.

“I stayed silent as I lost myself in your enchanting voice... and I silently pleaded to any spirit who would listen to a forsaken monster like me...I asked them to somehow help me pull you out of this.” Gaster paused, it seemed a thought was still nagging him, he moved his right hand down your neck absentmindedly as he further admitted his inner thoughts to you.

“The only thing I had ever relied on before was science and logistics, but when I realized those couldn't help me, I think... I panicked...but then I focused on the way I knew you felt, the feeling I was familiar with.” Gaster says, his movements pausing, he seemed to be figuring things out as he told you, and you could tell how much it tore Gaster apart inside to realize you had a similar experience with isolation.

“For all the times that I used this way of...distancing myself I didn't think anyone could... _I didn't realize I wanted…_ someone to stop me.” You say trying to explain what it felt like to be saved from your self-destruction.

“It was like…” you trail off, your hands lightly gripping on to his sweater, “You pulled me out of that before I...things would have been so much worse but I didn't realize that till it was too late and…” you took a deep breath.

“I think we both have a lot of [ new fears ](https://youtu.be/uG867bF4ucQ)...ones we did not expect, but I don't think either of us wants to do this alone anymore, right?” You say sweetly, and Gaster gives you a soft smile, nodding in agreement with you.

“So then... let's both stop isolating ourselves... we should also stop trying to decide what's best on our own, okay?” You ask, sniffling and bringing a sleeve to your face to wipe your tears away fully, a soft slightly-amused smile on your face. Gaster leaned close to you, his left hand at the small of your back, his right at the side of your face as he held you in this familiar comforting way.

“My dear, you can always rely on me, as I'm sure I will need to rely on you if you would allow it.” Gaster says the stress from his voice lifted, a softer sense of peace was in its place.

You nodded, and you lifted the heels of your shoes off the floor, the additional few inches allowing you to kiss Gaster without him kneading to bend down first. You could feel the soft breath of relief escape both you and him as the two of you sealed this promise with this perfect display of comfortable passion. Your heart successfully back up and running again, you could feel your full emotional consciousness pulse through your body again. You could do this together, there was no need to be alone anymore.

The love and warmth you felt from him and for him at this moment gave you an understanding that you never knew you needed. Other people see you and Gaster in black and white, yet you and Gaster see each other in a different light, it was as if the two of you saw each other in a sort of [infra-red](https://youtu.be/pwGS4Yn5qLo). You felt the fire in both of your bloodstreams as the two of you shined brightly in this affection. You felt a calm, fearless, confidence when you thought of needing to affirm your feelings for Gaster later this evening. You had a feeling it would be as if it was only the two of you now, even when Sans shows up later. The only person whose words you cared about was Gaster, you had no reason to think twice about it in the first place.

You just wish other people could see the doctor for who he really was. Gaster was quiet and reserved, sure... but you could read his emotions, ones he seemed to not realize he had before or showed. Your heart broke when you realized other people have been fooled into thinking he was some stone-cold monster, yet you could easily understand that they simply never took the time to look past the barrier that he so obviously held up. You knew all too well how he survived his years of isolation, the ones he spent before and after the void. It's not as if you expect him to be someone different, but you refused to let him do this alone anymore, refused to let incorrect opinions cause you or Gaster to think of yourselves as outsiders anymore. No one had a right to know you or him for the both of you to deserve being treated with respect, no one had the right to keep [tabs](https://youtu.be/iJFyFzMtZTk) on the two of you; your relationship was none of their business.

Gaster understood this too, he knew you were bubbly and seemingly as open as a book on the outside, but he also knew that only led others to never understand what you were really feeling. He saw how it exhausted you to constantly keep up the social mask, and how you felt trapped into never taking it off before. Both of you were fooling everyone else into believing you were something you were not. Both of you could tell that the other had been hiding behind a facade, and both of you ended up wearing them so long you started to lose yourselves in them. 

Now that you both had each other? You both wanted to prove that you two did not need to always be on guard constantly anymore; not when you were around each other, at least. 

* * *

It had been a human that freed him from the void, a commendable feat, of course, however, there was something more inconceivable that had been accomplished by a human, you specifically. Something Gaster wouldn't have believed before you, it was a human who had also been the one to convince him or rather _allowed him_ to see that he could not only love, but he could rely on someone other than himself. He had faith in someone other than himself for the first time since escaping the void and the freeing feeling of this revelation gave Gaster an adrenaline rush that wouldn't seem to quell. It was similar to the feeling he had when he laid with you, when he saw you smile or laugh, when he flustered you or when you simply were content in his presence. He was in a constant state of elation, the concept of which was so foreign to him, that it took Gaster a moment to realize he was experiencing pure constant joy, with you at his side. Gaster knew he was feeling overwhelming love for you, but it was not possessive and lustful like he was used to...it was something he just chose to enjoy in the moment for now. He would think of the logistics of an incubus being more than obsessed with a soul and of his biology not being the only possible reason for his craving for you, later.

* * *

When you and Gaster finally came upon a clearing, you had not realized how far you had walked back into the woods. You had been too focused on playing 20 questions with Gaster as you tried to guess what creature he was able to summon now as he shared your energy. Playing 20 questions had been your idea, he had offered to just tell you, but you figured it would be more fun to guess. However, you were terrible at this game clearly, because you were stumped. 

So far you had eliminated the possibility that it was smaller than a normal car, which confused you with possibilities. He told you it was not a giant hand, which you laughed at trying to picture it and you sat on the trunk of a fallen tree as you thought. Gaster walked the perimeter of the clearing, his hands behind his back as he seemed to be evaluating the area. You only had one more question and you were too confused, so you asked something expecting another vague ‘yes’ or ‘no from Gaster.

“Is it something I’ve ever seen at all? Whether a picture or in real life?” You say, just as Gaster had rejoined you at your side, seemingly finished with his calculations.

“Possibly, dear.” He says, offering a hand to you, signaling you should stand and you take his hand gratefully to do so.

“Well that was my last question and I'm still no closer to a guess.” You say giggling, Gaster looks up momentarily as if he was contemplating whether or not to tell you. 

Then, Gaster looks down to meet your eyes again, a smirk on his face, he gives you another clue. 

“If you know of Greek mythology, my creation is based on a certain creature that guards the gates of the Underworld.” He says to you casually and you raise a brow at him, you knew what he was talking about but he had to be joking.

Then you realize Gaster doesn't really joke in this way and your suspicious expression changes into one that's seemed rather deep in thought. You bring your hands up to cover your face for just a moment, before taking in a deep breath, and dropping your hands so you could ask Gaster, what he realizes you already know. 

_“Cerberus?”_ You say, Gasters face analyzing your response, but giving you no indication your guess was correct.

_“Gaster,_ are you seriously talking about _Cerberus?”_ You say, with a short breathy giggle, and when you see the slightest crack of a smile on his face you start grinning like an overly-excited kid. 

_“The three-headed dog??_ You said the creature was bigger than a car! _Ohmygosh_ is he nice?? Can I pet him??” You start to excitedly ramble, and Gaster just smiles, his head shaking slightly as he attempts to hold in his amusement. 

“I can't pet him?” You say disappointed, but that's all it took for Gaster to break his attempted composure and chuckle, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth as he composes himself enough to reply to you.

“That's not it dear, it’s that, well, I tell you that I can summon a Cerberus... and your first reaction, is to ask if you could pet it?” He says, unbelieving of your casual enthusiasm. 

“W-Well yeah, why, what was I supposed to say?” You ask, crossing your arms, you really just want to pet the giant dog.

“Well, normally Ember, you should be shocked by the existence of such a large creature, let alone the implications you are to be met face-to-face with one. Aren't you worried?” Gaster says clinically, and you shift your weight from one leg to the other.

“Of course I'm shocked! But no, I’m not worried, Gaster.” You say matter-of-factly and Gaster gives you a look that said he wanted you to elaborate, and you playfully roll your eyes as you respond.

_“I’m not worried_ ‘cause I trust that you would never put me in a dangerous situation.” You tell him sweetly, giving Gaster a soft smile.

The sun was starting to set, the rays that escaped past the leaves of the trees were a deep warm orange, Gaster leaned down to give a soft affectionate kiss to your forehead before he replied. 

“Good.” Gaster says, and you can feel the warmth of the new feeling of peace that the both of you now had inside your souls. 

Gaster briefly explained that you should not try and pet the dog until he said you could, you were sort-of disappointed, but you of course understood. You agreed to stay to the sidelines and Gaster made a final mention, letting you know you may feel a faint pull in your soul; then Cerberus would fizzle into existence similarly to how Gaster would when he teleported. 

The first thing you saw as you watched safely from a few feet behind Gaster, was a few faintly blue sparks that appear in sporadic places around the surface of the clearing. You looked over to Gaster to see he was focused, but definitely confident and you briefly remembered how much he enjoyed showing off. Then again, what you witnessed next was definitely enough of a reason to justify gloating.

The blue sparks in the field became brighter and more frequent until they finally seemed to form a large circle in the clearing. Sparks of white that seem to faze into existence appeared around the area like grains of sand that spun and formed into solid shapes. It was like watching dozens of organic puzzle pieces come together, slowly shifting into reality as a mass that your eyes couldn't quite comprehend at first. 

Then, you heard what sounded like a spring-loaded cannon, followed by an almost blinding white light formed as the mass in front of you finally took shape. The light died down soon after, and a few feet in front of you in the clearing, stood an [ 8-foot tall three-headed snow-white Cerberus](https://imgur.com/a/FOzVK9I). You had not realized you had shuffled so close to Gaster, that you basically clung to his sleeve, but as he lowered his arm he had used to focus his summoning, he brought it down gently to rest protectively around your shoulder. 

You could tell Gaster was observing and trying to gauge your reaction as you stared at his summoned Cerberus while it seemed to be standing at attention and waiting for Gaster to give it an order. Your gaze went from Gaster to the large canine in the field and you weren't exactly sure what you should be focusing on, the huge three-headed dog, or the one who you trusted to control it. Thankfully, Gaster spoke to cut you a break and answer your question. 

“Dear, it's alright. You should take a moment to focus and observe.” He says gently, and you can tell he means for you to focus on the creature, so your brain has a moment to take this all in as reality. 

You relaxed into his hold and nodded, looking away from Gaster with an apprehensive smile, to fully observe the large creature. 

Now, you were no zoologist, in fact, your animal knowledge did not go farther than what grade school, the zoo, and your favorite [ childhood Tv show](https://youtu.be/jj9u6SGB_GY) taught you. However, you were very sure this creature stood at an elephant's height, not a giraffe but certainly as big as an elephant. If you wanted, you could pet this Cerberus, but you could not reach farther than the top of its shoulder, it would have to lay down for you to pet one of the three dog heads. Once you came to terms with its size and how it compared to everything else, you started to actually focus on the details. 

All three dog heads had glowing blue eyes with a sharpness and intelligence that reminded you of how intimidating Gaster was at first. The glow others may find unsettling, but for you, it only further brought attention to how full of life this creature was. There was one long skeletal tail that twitched at the end of the creature's body, which was covered with a fluffy white coat of fur, and down its front legs, were some sort of runes. All three mouths of the canine had a slightly twisted and jagged appearance, you admired the obvious strength of the creature and you wondered how you could prove you had only respect for the being. You gave yourself a silent nod and you finally felt calm enough to look back up at Gaster, an innocent smile on your face.

Gaster smiled down at you, knowing exactly what you were thinking he responded, amusement clear in his tone.

“Yes, you may ‘pet’ the Cerberus, but please follow my lead.” He says as he slowly walks and guides you closer to the autonomous three-headed dog, you smiled both nervous and excited as you followed Gaster to meet the puppy. 

“You said _‘the Cerberus’_ does he not have a name?” You ask sheepishly as you walked, then all three heads turned their attention to you and you tried to keep eye contact with all three of them to no avail.

You froze in place for just a moment, only continuing along when you felt Gaster lightly encourage you forward, his hand at your back. 

“No dear, but if it would make you happy, I’m sure you could give them a proper name.” Gaster says as he stops with you just a few yards away from the large snow-white beast. 

“Um, okay, but I’ll run it by them first.” You say, looking to Gaster nervously. 

He gives a silent nod, which may have also been a command as Cerberus moved to bow its head down, as its eyes became level with your height and you flinched slightly from the movement. Gaster motioned to hold out his hand slowly, implying you should do the same and so you mirrored his actions.

Then Gaster motioned for you to step closer, because right...you were the one who wanted to pet the dog. 

So in an awkward inching-forward movement, you turned your head away slightly as you had your arm stuck out, your eyes were almost shut. Then you felt soft, warm fluff under your fingertips, and your body relaxed at the contact, your eyes slowly opening and your head turning to look in front of you once more. 

Your hand rested lightly on the snout of the far-right head of the creature and you heard a light huff of breath come from the nose of the current snout you were petting slowly. 

Your apprehension turned to soft admiration as you had a chance to look the creature in the eyes properly, its intensity was still there but, just like with Gaster, you could clearly see more than just outside appearance. The surrounding forest was beginning to darken, the sun having just finished setting the bright white coat of the Cerberus was still visible. In your next few sentences, you spoke directly at the creature, a calm nurturing tone in your voice as you did. 

“Your coat is very soft and even with the sunset, I feel like no matter how lost I was, I would be able to recognize you like a beacon from a lighthouse.” You said giggling, and the canine moved an inch closer to you as it became more comfortable around you, you became more comfortable around it too. 

You moved your arm to pet behind one of the fluffy ears on the head you had been petting as you continued your thought out loud. 

“You deserve a cool name, something that describes how strong and how handsome you are.” You said lovingly, and another head of the beast moved to receive pets from you as well.

To meet the demand, you moved to use both arms to pet, what was becoming increasingly clear to be, the three-headed-teddy-bear of a good doggo. You didn't see Gasters confusion, you could only see fluffy overwhelmingly soft white dog fur, as you continued to pet.

“So, with all this white fur, I feel like I'm stuck in a snowstorm, so what do you think about Blizzard for your name?” You say as you pet the chin of one head of the creature while also scratching behind the ear of the other, the middle head of the Cerberus lifts its head to lick the side of your face. 

“Pffft! Oh gosh okay, glad you like the name.” You giggle, trying your best to wipe the doggy slobber from your face, an odd static electricity caused some of your hair to stand on end. 

You only become aware of Gasters presence once more when you suddenly feel a pair of hands smooth down your hair and he directs your attention up to his eye contact as if he was attempting to assess the damage. 

“Gaster….It's fine he just gave me a puppy kiss.” You huff, still smirking at the ridiculously adorable dog Gaster summoned, you're sure it would scare Sans, but it only made you feel safe and happy. 

“You are correct dear, you do seem to always _‘throw me for a loop’_ , as I _did_ expect you to not be afraid, but I _did not_ see you being capable of taming this complex autonomous magic.” He says clinically, holding back his small impressed smile till the end of his statement. 

“Do you wanna find out who Blizzard will listen to more?” You say teasingly, your heels slightly bouncing as you stood in place.

Gaster realized you were obviously okay if you were teasing him and after playfully rolling his eyes he dropped his hands from the sides of your face. For a brief moment, Gaster paused, as he seemed to take a moment to think of the possibility ‘Blizzard’ may listen to you more than him. You raised an eyebrow at him, challenging him to test your theory, you had an odd sense of confidence that Blizzard would listen to you the most. 

Gaster brought one of his hands up to his mouth as he seemed to contemplate it further, he looked from you to the ‘already-asking-for-more-pets-from-you’ Cerberus next to him and seemed to make a decision. 

“I suppose your concept is too interesting to not test, so why not.” Gaster says as he casually walks a few feet back, but not too far, you could still feel his anxiety in you.

Gaster may not feel completely comfortable with you around Blizzard, but you felt fine, sure he looked terrifying and was no doubt very dangerous but he was a good boy. 

“Are we going to see who he will walk to if we call his name? I think that's rude, he totally knows his name, he's way smarter…” you said, still contemplating what it was you were trying to say, Gaster helps your train of thought as he replies. 

“Is that so? Then dear, how do you suppose we test your theory?” He says calmly, and you figure your thoughts out in the moment as you tell Gaster your idea.

“Well, let's ask Blizzard more specific questions.” You said naturally. 

“Ask?” Gaster says a curious tone in his voice, almost as if he had not considered the possibility. 

“Well yeah,” you say, your arms tapping the sides of your legs with a slight awkwardness as you try to further explain. 

“I mean, Blizzard here…” you say looking over at the big imposing floofer. “He's an extension of you and your magic, you created him right?” You say to Gaster, the two of you standing in the clearing of a dark forest, that only the three of you could see perfectly fine in. 

This night vision made moments like this calm and peaceful, you felt safe around Gaster, Blizzard, and the fact that you wouldn't hurt yourself tripping over a stick. Gaster answered your question, still trying to understand your point. 

“Yes, that is correct.” He says, and you find it amusing how such a brilliant man could miss the obvious point you were making. 

“Gaster, _you_ made Blizzard, _so he's obviously super smart_.” You say bringing a hand up in a shrug, but Gaster seemed to think you had too much faith in Blizzard and it kinda annoyed you.

“I mean it, and like...I don't mean only autonomously smart either, like I know he can move on his own accord, but I know it's more than that. I can't believe I have to say this but, _you gotta give yourself more credit._ ” You say with a sigh, and Gaster seemed a bit tripped up at your compliment, torn between what logically would require unknown amounts of energy to achieve, and your faith in him.

“You made Sans and Papyrus, all on your own and they are their own monsters. Why is the possibility of you doing so again hard for you to believe?” You ask, Blizzard, looked from you to Gaster as if it was following along with the conversation, a movement that caused Gaster to take another pause. 

“Yes but the Cerberus..” Gaster started, and you gave him a look that informed him he needed to correct himself. 

_“Blizzard_ can only sustain a physical form when I use my magic, and your energy dear. It would take _unfathomable_ amounts of energy to do what you are suggesting _without_ a sacrifice of some kind.” Gaster says, looking over at the three-headed dog who seemed to tilt one of its heads slightly at his comment and you couldn't understand why Gaster seemed so apprehensive to believe you. 

Then you realize that the last time Gaster created completely independent and intelligent beings, they did not exactly _enjoy_ his company. Sans clearly hated him and Papyrus doesn't seem to even want anything to do with him, which left Gaster and his inability to communicate properly, apprehensive at best. You had a nagging suspicion that whether he knew it or not, Gaster may be concerned if Blizzard did like you more, it would be another one of his creations that rejected him. That thought hurt your heart and you could see Blizzard look at you in the same moment your soul pinged with that sorrow, with one look, you and the canine seemed to share the same thought. It was almost as if you could feel the energy in both you and Blizzard beat as one, as you approached Gaster in his apprehensive stance and spoke warmly to him. 

“Well, I’m not disagreeing with you Gaster, but you said it yourself, you were able to summon a Cerberus like Blizzard because you can safely use my energy.” You say, bringing your hand up to lightly cling to the cuff of Gaster’s jacket sleeve.

“You said it was more than safe, because you only needed the tiniest bit of my energy, right?” You sigh, you pulled lightly on Gasters sleeve till he got you wanted to guide his hand, Blizzard moved slowly so he could be directly at your’s and Gasters side. 

“Maybe all the energy...and _‘unfathomable’_ things about my soul…” You say sweetly, a light-hearted jest, repeating the word Gaster had used moments before as you brought his hand to the snout of the middle head of Blizzard.

“Maybe now that you and I...maybe you _don't need_ to sacrifice anything to create this intelligent life anymore.” You said, with a soft smile as Gaster's hand met Blizzard's snout and you placed your hand on top of Gasters. You started to slowly move your hand, keeping it on Gasters as you guided him to pet Blizzard gently.

The three of you shared a quiet moment and at that moment, you could feel a pressure lift from in your soul that you knew came from Gaster relaxing; even though outwardly all you saw was him blink once. You took this opportunity to connect this back to your theory from earlier, so you can assure Gaster that Blizzard wasn't like the creations he made before. 

“I think Blizzard is an extension of us both…” you trial off and Gaster seems to be willing to listen to you more and as you move to pet a different snout, Gaster still continued to pet Blizzard’s middle one; the whole scene was adorable frankly. 

“I wish I could say I had any part in the design or what I’m sure were _endless hours of calculations_ and….” your brow furrowed as you tried to find the words you were looking for, but wouldn't form in your brain, eventually you spoke choosing to simply speak from the heart. 

“All the _magic-y complicated things_ about being able to summon Blizzard...but I think he agrees with me when I say, he has the same respect for you as I do.” You say softly, and both you and Blizzard take a purposeful moment to look at Gaster, he pauses his movements and looks back at the two of you.

“I feel strangely outnumbered.” Gaster says, his voice a softer uncertain one as he works up the courage to fully believe your words.

You could tell Gaster wanted this Cerberus, that he was only able to summon thanks to you, to be a product of your strong bond to him. You could tell he felt this way, because it was exactly what you and Blizzard were thinking in the moment, Blizzard was proof of how strong you and Gaster could be together. You even felt that Blizzard was only just one example of a possible many, though you needed no proof to know that when you and Gaster were together, anything seemed possible. 

You hadn't realized that both you and Blizzard were looking at Gaster with puppy-dog eyes, until you saw a genuine smile crack on Gaster's face as he let out a breathy chuckle.

“Ember, If I accept this as truth, would the two of you please release me from this sympathetic hold?” Gaster says, referring to the understandably overwhelming bubble-gum-sweet expressions you were giving him at the moment. 

Your expression turns playful and a smirk grows on your face as you nod to agree to Gasters ‘terms’, Blizzard starts to pant happily, laying down on the grass fully as if to say they were relieved at Gaster coming to this understanding as well. 

“There is a problem, however dear.” Gaster says, which causes you and Blizzard to pause, the two of you look at him expectantly. 

“While I'm sure I could forge records and pass off Blizzard as a canine monster, seeing as no matter how intelligent, many are similarly incapable of speaking. It will not be easy to convince others that Blizzard is not a threat however, because even if I change his size and appearance, he most-certainly still is.” Gaster says flatly, you could tell Blizzard knew what he was talking about, but you were a little out of the loop.

“You mean like, he will have to get a tracking collar?” You ask sheepishly, the other comment Gaster made going over your head. 

For the monsters who did not speak, or communicate any language and were deemed possibly dangerous, the government implemented a collar system. It was a way to track the monster if it hurt anyone, a system similar to what humans did to domesticated dogs. You did not like it, as the feeling of doing that to an intelligent being seemed degrading to you. You supposed one good thing about it was that it also could help find them if they were kidnapped or lost, since they would be unable to communicate their location. The government assured monsters it was so they could help them, but something inside you knew it was more for coward humans to feel safer at the expense of invading privacy.

“Yes, that would solve one fear, I believe I can even make one that would allow for his change in size.” Gaster said, bringing a hand up to his mouth as he contemplated things over in his mind.

“Wait, Blizzard can change size?” You say shocked, only just processing the comment Gaster had made previously.

You look over to the massive canine, it _would_ be convenient if he wasn't so big, then he may even be able to snuggle with you on _one of the thousands of couches_ in the house. You knew Blizzard could understand you, but you were still a bit shocked to see one of his three heads nod to confirm that he could indeed change size.

_"Yes,_ dear. However...” Gaster says, and your focus goes from Blizzard back to him as he continued to speak. 

“This will not change the abilities that Blizzard has.” Gaster begins to explain, taking a deep breath, he begins by firstly addressing a thought you had already formed. 

“No matter how much promising you-” Gaster looks over at Blizzard, “-or he makes to not use his abilities in public, it will not change the fact that he eventually will.” Gaster says, dropping his hand that rested at his face with a sigh.

“You mean, like if he gets threatened somehow?” You ask, understanding it would be hard for a Cerberus like Blizzard to ever feel cornered by anything, but you weren't naive enough to think a time where he may feel out of options, wouldn't eventually happen. Gaster nods, and Blizzard's ears drooped, it was obvious he had some kind of flashy ability, speaking of which…

“Oh, so then...what is it that he can do? I mean, what would make a regular dog-sized Blizzard so concerning to others?” You ask, bringing your hand to run your fingers through the fur on Blizzard’s rightmost head. 

You heard a nervous whimper in Blizzard's voice, before Gaster slowly pulled you closer to him, his hands were at your hips and for a moment your heart skipped. Even though you could see much better in the dark, and a giant Cerberus dog was beside you, Gaster had easily captured your full attention. Something in you told you there was a question you wanted him to answer, but as Gaster brought up a hand to your face it got harder to hold onto that thought. Gasters hand trails up your neck to rest just under your chin as he guides you into a kiss, an odd fuzzy static seemed to fill your mind. This felt out of place, this felt wrong because….because...weren't you asking about….something...no...he was kissing you so….there wasn't anything. 

When you found no reason to worry anymore, you let yourself melt into the skilled embrace and kiss of the unknowingly to you, deceitful doctor. When the fuzzy static seemed too loud, you pulled back, you couldn't see for a moment, your eyes closed and you brought a hand up to your head. After blinking a few times, you could focus again enough to see Gaster looking down at you concerned.

“Are you alright dear?” He says, with a hand on your shoulder that kept you steady.

“Y-Yeah..” You take a small step back to rub your eyes slightly, as if you just woke up from a nap. “S-sorry, I think I just had a head rush…” you say, your voice trailing off trying to think of the cause. 

“I see…” Gaster starts, his voice a whispered quiet, before he spoke up to ask you a logical question. “Did you not get a chance to eat while you were with Adelya?” He asks you, clinically. 

“Oh...no. That's probably it, sorry.” You say, although there is this nagging feeling you weren't finished talking about Blizzard, but thinking about it more gave you a headache, so instead, you looked back over to where Blizzard had been before your head-rush. 

You knew it had to be Blizzard, because there is no other snow white Cerberus creature here in this field, but what you were looking at right now, standing at no taller than the height of a typical german shepherd; was a [ very different version](https://imgur.com/a/xdRvQpe) of Blizzard. He wasn't intimidating or towering, he was _absolutely freaking adorable,_ but you could also feel the pride and respect he still wished to be treated with. 

However, that wasn't the weirdest thing about this moment, the weirdest thing was that Blizzard, who was standing at your side, moved to step between you and Gaster. It was as if Blizzard was taking a defensive stance, he seemed to be upset at Gaster for something, but that made no sense to you.

“What's gotten into you Blizzard?” You ask, as you heard the low beginnings of a growl come from the canine, Gaster gave it an oddly intense expression, before dropping it to offer you an explanation. 

“I think he is not pleased with his new appearance, that and while I changed him the headrush you experienced appeared to exhaust you. He may just be misunderstanding things.” Gaster says, an odd chill in his voice. 

You were going to ask about it, but your phone buzzing in your pocket and it distracted you enough to check. It had only been the notification from your bank app, another $1,000 added to your account, but you couldn't give it much thought as your brain quickly wandered to how you should text Sans soon. When you looked up to see Blizzard still looking displeased at Gaster, you figured you would smooth out the argument, that you thought you understood the root of. 

“Hey, Blizzard don't be like that…'' you said softly, moving to comfort him with a pet to his middle head and Blizzard breaks eye contact with Gaster to return his attention to you.

“I know you won't get _as much_ respect from _others_ in this form, but I trust Gaster if he thinks this is for the best.” You say sweetly with sympathetic eyes, “It could be really dangerous for... _all of us_ if they tried to regulate Gasters abilities and in extension, you.” Your attempt at calming him seemed to work and you could tell Blizzard was considering your words; then you thought of a common goal he may be able to share with Gaster that could better smooth things out. 

“And I need Gaster to not be hauled off by the NSA for questioning, cause he and I have to find a cure for these stupid betrayal lines I have, or else I... won't be able to keep you... _existing.”_ You try to say delicately, not for anyone's sake but for your own sanity, then you choose to lighten the mood with a final comment. 

“Plus, I _love_ this _‘doctor of everything’_ too much to put him under that kind of stress, not all humans are as great as me, they won't understand you aren’t hell-bent on disaster.” You say with a giggly, chipper tone as you give Blizzard one final pet.

He seemed apprehensive but still calmed down anyway thankfully because truly the last thing anyone in this situation needs is the government getting involved. Humans tried to destroy anything they feared, monsters were no different at first, a civil war almost broke out when they first came to the surface. Blizzard, nor any other being for that matter, did not deserve to be treated with hostility and disrespect just because of their appearance. Even _if_ Blizzard was capable of growing into a basically, giant land shark on four paws. 

_‘Blizzard would only seem unsafe to humans because his true form was intimidating, he was only unsafe because three large sets of autonomous, free-thinking, sharp teeth could be too scary to other humans. Nothing else.’_ You told yourself sternly in your head, uncertain of why it mattered so much to do so, then your train of thought went off once again to wonder if Gaster still had to block your thoughts or if you were even projecting them any longer. 

“So,” You start, briefly looking at your phone to check the time, before looking back to Gaster to continue speaking. “It's nine-thirty, I should probably text Sans to come to meet us back down at the creek soon, hopefully, he isn't doing anything important.” You say, you let out a short breath, you no longer had any worries about talking to Sans, in fact, you were almost excited to see Blizzard get a chance to shine. 

“Unlikely, dear.” Gaster says, his earlier odd chill in his demeanor was completely gone and he almost sounded monotone, a switch that was so jarring, that you convinced yourself that your earlier observation of his mood was a misunderstanding. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no.
> 
> In case you could not use https://lingojam.com/W-D-Gaster to translate, it read:
> 
> ("It will be okay, my flame I won't let you get lost. You don't need to do this, trust you are safe with me.")


	13. Playing God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fact Gaster refused to think of before was able to plague his mind in this deteriorating state, ‘All humans expire eventually, monsters do not’. That's all it took to justify his momentary control of you to himself, because every day not spent retrieving code, was one less peaceful day he had with you. No other variables mattered.  
> __________________________________________________
> 
> “Ohhkay, alright stop right there, everyone needs to calm down, cause no one is going to get a chance to say what they want if we continue down that path.” You said ushering the two of them, Blizzard standing at your side, glaring at Sans still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things! Are! HAPPENING! Part two of the update here, what a joy to know I can start on all the porn for the plot that I have so painstakingly written, I put aside the smut for just the time, trust me ~<3 Also, MAGIC PUPPER <3
> 
> Also, ooooof. Gaster did a bad probably should have addressed that first, surely he won't do it again? What was that? ....oh no. 
> 
> -🔥

Gaster was going to tell you, truly he had no intention of hiding ‘Blizzards’ abilities from you, but then your words started spinning in his head. 

_[“Maybe now that you and I...maybe you_ **_don't need_ ** _to sacrifice anything to create this intelligent life anymore.”]_

Something ignited in him when those words passed your lips, and Gaster had a fierce sense of desperation to hold you, but all he could do was savor this moment. To know this creature he summoned was a combined effort, both this Cerberus and himself were blessed to be a part of your energy. 

_[“I think Blizzard is an extension of us both…”]_

A shiver ran through his spine when you said this, he could only picture other ways in which you and he could bring a living being into the world, made of your combined energies. Gaster swallowed this strictly instinctual thought, he could only just barely handle sharing you with this summoned canine. 

_[“I think he agrees with me when I say, he has the same respect for you as I do.”]_

You really are a celestial brilliance, you figured his worries he did not recognize himself yet, of course, he still had reserves about his creations, fears of rejection. 

_[“Oh, so then...what is it that he can do?]_

No, he can't tell you _now_. How could he?

How could he possibly tell you the endless carnage ‘Blizzard’ could do in a manner of seconds. How could he tell you this creation of his, that you brought to life and so clearly cherished, was capable of killing anything in its radius with a focus of a single fired beam? He especially couldn't tell you that he created this monster this way originally, to be used as a weapon of Civil war. He couldn't explain it, that he still wished to bring this being into existence with these abilities because he still believed there may be a war. The future, time, is constant yet the most unknown thing in the universe, and the hardest to predict. 

He couldn't look you in the eye and admit he summoned such a creature, used your energy to bring it to life. He could always faze Blizzard out of existence, just like the hands he was capable of dismissing in the same way, if it weren't for his miscalculation. You had been right, your energy had caused something more dangerous than the soul-shattering Lazer that Blizzard was capable of emitting. You and he brought Blizzard to life, he could see your energy was almost entirely keeping him summoned, Gaster had only acted as the blueprint. 

You acted as if he did most of the work, but from where he stood you were the one keeping Blizzard summoned, which meant that Gaster could not dismiss him easily, _if he was even able to at all that is._

So, without telling you first he had you help him summon a weapon of mass destruction and carnage, _and he couldn't get rid of it._ Hell, it was obvious it would listen to you more as you shared a larger connection of energy with it, the most he could do is change its appearance.

He could do that, but the beast may fight him and it wouldn't fix the problem of having to tell you his abilities.

_[“I mean, what would make a regular dog-sized Blizzard so concerning to others?”]_

Without thinking, his hands were at your hips as he pulled you close.

💧❄⚐🏱

He looked in your eyes and brought his hand to your face, you looked like he caught you off-guard.

✋❄🕯💧 👎✌☠☝☜☼⚐🕆💧

Your expression, your vulnerability to him, it caused him to slip. 

❄☟✋💧 🕈✋☹☹ ☺🕆💧❄ ☟🕆☼❄ ☟☜☼ 💣⚐☼☜

He could taste your blind trust for him on your lips, as his thoughts spun desperately in his head. 

✡⚐🕆 ☟✌✞☜ ❄⚐ 💧❄⚐🏱

_‘Please don't ask, don't ever ask’_ \- he said as he felt the hum of his magic transferring to you as he trapped you further into his kiss. 

✡⚐🕆☼ ✌ 🕈⚐☼💧☜ 💣⚐☠💧❄☜☼ ❄☟✌☠ ❄☟✋💧 👍☜☼👌☜☼🕆💧 ❄☟✌❄ ✡⚐🕆 ☟✌✞☜ ☞✌✋☹☜👎 ❄⚐ ☟✌✞☜ 👍⚐💣🏱☹☜❄☜ 👍⚐☠❄☼⚐☹ ⚐☞. 

_‘Forgive me, forget there is anything more, there is nothing else, please forget that I have failed again, I won't fail you.’_ \- he said and found himself unable to stop kissing you, until a final realization hit his subconscious. 

✡⚐🕆 ✌☹☼☜✌👎✡ ☟✌✞☜ ☞✌✋☹☜👎 ☟☜☼📪 👍⚐🕈✌☼👎.

When he pulled away from your kiss he nervously looked at your expression, the realization of what he did hit him like a bucket of ice water and he held a hand on your shoulder to keep you from falling. As you began to focus on reality again, Gaster took that moment to turn the very concerned and turning hostile, Cerberus into a less-threatening form. Thankfully it had been too concerned before to realize the turn of events and who was responsible for your confusion.

You were dizzy and had blamed it on a head-rush, all he could do was go along with your suggestion, he realized there was no turning back. Thankfully Blizzard couldn't talk, but Gaster did not need to, to understand Blizzard was asking him for an explanation on what he had just done. It was clear he wouldn't let Gaster close to you again until he did and you of course caught on to that fact, asking the canine what was wrong. 

“I think he is not pleased with his new appearance, that and while I changed him the headrush you experienced appeared to exhaust you. He may just be misunderstanding things.” Gaster says to you, this wasn't untrue after all. 

The feeling you referred to as a ‘head-rush’ exhausted you, and Blizzard most likely did not understand why Gaster had done what he had. 

_[“Hey, Blizzard don't be like that…I know you won't get as much respect from others in this form, but I trust Gaster if he thinks this is for the best. It could be really dangerous for...all of us if they tried to regulate Gasters abilities and in extension, you.”]_

Gaster had a dreadful thought in the back of his throat, would you have been okay with hearing the truth anyway? If he told you now you would surely realize he had done something to you a few moments ago and you would hate him, right?

_[“And I need Gaster to not be hauled off by the NSA for questioning, cause he and I have to find a cure for these stupid betrayal lines I have, or else I... won't be able to keep you..._ **_existing_ ** _.”]_

No, if you knew it could just put you in more danger, it was better you were still in the dark about this. Even Gaster knew in certain situations, it was dangerous to ‘know too much’ and he feared if ever you were taken into questioning that your further knowledge would only put you in more unsafe situations.

_[“Plus, I_ **_love_ ** _this_ **_‘doctor of everything’_ ** _too much to put him under that kind of stress, not all humans are as great as me, they won't understand you aren’t hell-bent on disaster.”]_

Yes, he loves you too and he doesn't want to put you in danger, even though just moments ago he feared his instincts as an incubus did just that. Gaster told himself that would never happen again, that this creature's true ability and origin was the only thing he would ever have to hide from you. 

He wanted to save anyone from the fate of the void, Frisk had convinced him to help humans, but Asgore made it clear to Gaster, in secret, that he was to still work on furthering his creation. The future was unpredictable, and he would never tell you that when he first saw your soul in the void, his original plans for you were _much different_. 

Long ago he told the king of his plan to break the barrier, Cerberus. Gaster told Asgore he needed to use several human souls to power his creation, all while he worked on the core powering the underground, mentioning to anyone who asked that it could possibly also break the barrier. Of course, that wasn't wrong, the power he found could keep the core running was a sheer blast of soul magic through a concentrated beam. That's what powered the core, human souls and that's what could break the barrier, but Asgore wanted a weapon to take with him to ‘greet’ the humans first. That was when he fell into the void, and Gaster had to watch Sans look at the blue-prints of his escape plan for all of the monster race and completely misunderstand them; then again Gaster never told anyone besides Asgore of this plan.

Then, once escaping the void 15 years ago, he told the king, in secret, of his vision of your soul and that if your soul should prove to actually exist, it would be the only component needed for a revolution. Gaster informed the king that he would only need to help cover up the disappearance of a single human and Asgore would have the weapon. With a soul powerful enough to control the void, resist being pulled in and overflowing with power, Gaster could do a handful of extraordinary things. 

Gaining your trust and slowly finding the cure code, saving countless people from the void, while also learning how to master the entirety of the void with it. This was the plan if the King did not wish for a war, _but if he did…._

Gaster would use the soul to understand the void and easily throw countless humans into it with a flick of his wrist, all while your soul would’ve been sacrificed to his Cerberus creation that would lay waste to the human race. 

This was the mindset of the King before Gaster was thrown into the void and it continued when he was pulled out of it even as monsters finally walked the surface again, Gaster talked with Asgore only once a year about this subject.

Up until two years ago, Gaster was told each year to continue his work, to _prepare for all possibilities._ Gaster hid this from everyone besides Asgore, and the king did just the same. Of course, he never put any of his plans down on paper or digitally, Gaster kept almost all of it stored in his mind. All but the basic blueprints of one of the heads of his three-headed creation, that is. 

When Sans found them after his disappearance, he misunderstood the only blueprints Gaster left of Cerberus as inefficient battle magic, he found them _‘wasteful’_ , once commenting on how _‘the lasers should be used as a last resort’_ because _‘it takes up too much magic energy to ever be practical.’_

Yes, it would be wasteful, if Gaster intended his soul to be the magic source, but he had always planned on many human souls being its power source, or _one very powerful soul in particular._

If a civil war were to happen now, together, the vast amount of energy and power that you and he could supply ‘Blizzard’, _would be earth-shattering_. Yes, Blizzard, the Cerberus that you helped Gaster summon and that _(was supposed to be)_ directed by him and powered by you, as _your soul was endlessly powered by the void_ ; had limitless destructive capabilities. 

However, as the years passed, it was clear there would be no war or bloodlust with the human race just yet, so Gaster had focused on fulfilling his personal interests while waiting at this abysmal college. He also had to make sure he was doing _just enough_ good for the human race so that his life could be worth the risk that Frisk had taken to save him from the void, if only out of respect. 

Gaster would continue to ask Asgore once a year if he was to continue his research and it had only been two years ago when the king had not said his usual ‘yes’. Instead, Asgore told Gaster to ‘venture onto other projects’. Although, Asgore had _not_ told him to stop, and Gaster knew that was on purpose. He knew that all this meant, was that the king was trying to believe in the peace that they and everyone else had worked hard to obtain up to this point. Gaster’s loyalty was to himself and monster kind, yes he helped modern medicine on the surface progress greatly, for the good of _both_ monsters and humans. He told himself he was glad to be rid of the need to stay at the ready, even if it was only momentarily, but it had been a... _slow_ two years. He had not realized how thin he had been spreading his patients with the mundane world until you walked into his life. The first real excitement since returning to the surface, what he believed to be his magnum opus, his work to test his capabilities to their fullest. 

Yet all the king wanted him to do now was obtain the few boring, slow to gather painlessly, lines of code from your abnormal betrayal lines. Before this all he was able to find excitement in finding this cure, it was the beginning of possibilities that allowed Gaster to further test his abilities. 

But that changed so fast when he only wanted to keep you safe, when you were all that mattered and when he forgot all his other needs when he became obsessed with you. It had been like this from the moment you appeared, a sort of spiral started and just as he had realized this real true happiness life brought him a cruel shift.

Yes, you were okay with what he was and what he had done on the surface, but would you be okay with _what he would have done?_ Would you be okay with every past detail he has chosen to omit till now and would you be okay with what he may still have to do if the king called for a war? 

_Would he_ still do so? If the king asked it of him, would he do so now that he had you? That Gaster was not sure of. 

See, when you became his everything, that's exactly what changed, _everything._

He had a reason to better himself, to change who he was wasting away as, to reach a different potential in keeping you alive and happy. He switched from a placating professor itching for violence or discovery or both….to a monster who just only formed. He was unaware there could be other things that gave him such a sense of purpose, he had previously thought change for the good of his kind was all he could provide. He long thought his only purpose should be to make up for the trauma his species caused others as he tried so hard to be something better for everyone else.

Yet all you wanted was for his betterment and happiness, that alone threw a fork in his old perspective.

You had asked him if there was anything he was able to do, with your soul at his side now eternally and he couldn't stop himself. He told himself it would be perfectly safe to show you this creature, he did not give it a second thought for the possible unknown variables. Gaster contemplated that maybe this too was the fault of his incubus instincts, furthering his impulsive decisions more and more. In a way, he too was experiencing a similar mania, just in a far more dangerous situation where a regretful decision of his could be one of life and death. 

He thought he could dismiss it, Gaster thought he would have complete control over Blizzard and didn't think it would have a mind of its own, something you figured out only moments after he had summoned it. Gaster was too focused on wanting to show off and scare away Sans, an attempt to stop Sans from constantly underestimating him. Gaster planned to only ever summon it again if necessary and he told himself he wouldn't ever let it get to that point in the first place. That was the plan anyway, but as more variables added up over time, they changed his situation in moments and as he fell deeper into his need for you and your happiness…. He panicked. 

The cat was out of the bag now, ‘Blizzard’ had already been summoned and Gaster knew this would start a series of events he would have to tell you. His fear of doing so now, when you and he had just gotten so close, propelled him to briefly control your mind, to block your need to ask about Blizzard and his abilities. 

Gaster was capable of lying, but not with you, at least he couldn't bring himself to do so to your face, so he knew he would have to tell you the truth eventually. It was only a matter of time before you further asked about how his idea of Blizzard came to be and what his purpose was, you were too brilliant to forget to ask forever. 

Now that you were bonded to him, Asgore may even already assume Gaster has told you everything, just how Asgore had told Toriel, who broke off their bond in the underground when she was told. Of course, the king never brought it up again to her on the surface, but Gaster and Asgore continued to remember this _option_ for the future. 

However, the only options Gaster would allow for the future now were ones where you were safe by his side. He had to focus on keeping you safe and sticking to finding a cure to your betrayal lines first, there wasn't time for more variables like this to waste time. In such a short time, so much had changed in and around him, as if he was making up for the lost time he spent in the void. For the first time imaginable, he wished for the same endless amount of time that he spent in the void, to spend with you here on the surface. 

A fact Gaster refused to think of before was able to plague his mind in this deteriorating state, _‘All humans expire eventually, monsters do not’_. That's all it took to justify his momentary control of you to himself, because every day not spent retrieving code, was one less peaceful day he had with you. No other variables mattered.

“So,” You looked at your phone, before looking back to Gaster.

“It's nine-thirty, I should probably text Sans to come to meet me back down at the creek soon, hopefully, he isn't doing anything important.” You say, and Gaster tries his best to snap back into your presence mentally, pushing back his previous thoughts far away.

What did you say? Oh, you were worried about bothering Sans, as if he was ever doing anything worthwhile. 

“Unlikely, dear.” Gaster says, trying his best to sound unbothered, however, he knew you felt something wrong, but you were still in a bit of a haze to focus on asking.

* * *

“Yeah, you're probably right.” You say with a giggle, of course, you would never start this kind of mean smack talk about someone who wasn't around, but you figured agreeing may bring Gaster some peace. 

Your soul felt numb where his emotions usually sat, and you wonder if maybe summoning Blizzard had exhausted Gaster, or if your empty stomach had anything to do with it. You did not find it too important though, you knew he and you had a breakthrough just before you met Blizzard and you didn't want to ruin the high you were still riding from that. As you and Gaster casually walked back down the mountain trail with smol Blizzard in tow, you thought of the things Gaster had said earlier. 

_[“It is...unbelievable that someone as vibrant and effervescent as you would love someone as...dark and guarded as me.”]_

You knew the walls the two of you built during your lives up until this point, would not just magically disappear with one conversation, but you and Gaster had started this demolition project today. You just hoped that the two of you would be able to clear away the rubble completely one day, but you were just fine taking your time until then. You would move at the pace Gaster set, as even though you refuse to say your thoughts out loud, you feel you communicated the truth to yourself more than Gaster had let himself.

_[“My dear, you can always rely on me, as I'm sure I will need to rely on you, if you would allow it.”]_

Yes, until the day the two of you could stop being so shut off from the world, you had each other to turn to and trust completely. You were never bothered by the overwhelming advantage of knowledge Gaster had over you, or the slightly shady things he had done to further his research. You even realized Gaster had probably started this all to help other monsters, but Frisk helped warm him up to humans. The way Gaster referred to humans sometimes made it clear he was not really a fan of them, but you never took offense to that either since you hated humans too. 

You hated the death and destruction humans could bring and every historical document monsters had brought up from the underground suggested humans started the centuries-old war too. It did not surprise you or most humans to find out we had cast them into exile into the underground, out of fear of the unknown and uncontrollable. Humans felt the need to control everything, an example being the collar system, monsters never wanted a war.

Monsters were made from hopes and dreams, they were made from desires, magic and energy of the unknown. They did not seem built for hate, you and many other humans liked to believe they only developed the need for creating defense mechanisms, because of the hostility from humans.

It's why you stayed silent when you realized that Blizzard's original purpose must have been born from the desire to keep monsters safe from humans. Someone like Gaster, who only ever did things out of a desire to help and keep others safe, probably worked on this creature even before the surface. Gaster did not just work endlessly to cultivate summoning Blizzard because ‘he felt like it’ or was fond of animals, you knew it had a reason. 

_‘Ugh, my head is killing me’._ You thought, but you still tried your best to keep your thoughts on track.

When monsters resurfaced, Gaster had no doubt realized there was no need to use Blizzard for defense, since by the good grace of the universe, monsters were able to form a treaty and establish a sort-of peace with humans. You did wonder how he planned to summon Blizzard if he had to do so without your help, he implied that he did not have the energy before, maybe Sans and Papyrus were supposed to work with him to summon it? 

_‘Ow fuck I think I have a migraine, great.’_ You once again think to yourself.

Well anyway, it was clear Gaster chose to instead work on helping people with his betrayal line cure code theory, all while he also helped many humans by providing numerous medical breakthroughs. Blizzard was just something he could summon now with your energy and you're glad he did, because the two of you created more than just a Cerberus for defense, the two of you created life.

Your mind shamelessly wondered what it would be like if you and Gaster decided to have…... _uh I should stop thinking about this._ You know your 23 and the ‘baby fever’ theory isn’t supposed to affect you until your late 20’s, but you became extremely aggravated at your wandering mind. 

Because _absolutely not_. Not only did you have a dream and career to focus on first, but you couldn't have a baby for fucks sake your on way too many medications you would have to stop taking and- _oh for fucks sake._

Nope, nope nope, this thought ends here, absolutely not. You could almost see the [ meme video ](https://youtu.be/F3ptb0XlOXY) of that skateboarding kid yeeting himself into that lake and the audio that went along with it

It was easy to tell when you, Gaster and Blizzard got to the creek part of the trail again since the light of the lamps that illuminated the first mile or so of the trail began to come into view. Around the creek, there were a few benches, but most used the amazing natural boulders for hangout spots. This was the first time you saw the creek after sunset with your newly light-sensitive eyes and it was even more [ beautiful at night](https://imgur.com/a/fMVtaqW). With the sunlight gone, and the old gas-powered lamps being the only source of light your eyes focused on the deep rich colors that surrounded you. Just like the stars were easier to see without light pollution from a big city, your newly improved eyes could see the rich colors without the blinding light of the sun mixing your surrounding colors by bouncing off everything else. You began to better understand why Gaster preferred the light from a candle, and why a fake LED ‘candle’ just couldn't compare. 

You enjoyed the peaceful and mostly quiet walk back to the start of the forest path with Gaster, but a question you wanted to ask popped up in your mind again.

“Oh! By the way Gaster, I should have asked this sooner…” You start to say as the three of you reached the base of the creek where Gaster had met up with you earlier. 

You turned around to better face him to ask your question, but you felt a shock of uncertainty and you wondered if you had startled Gaster with your sudden chipper comment.

“Sorry did I catch you off guard? I didn't mean to ruin the peaceful moment…” You say softer than before with a slightly guilty smile.

Gaster takes a breath and while you never would have thought you could catch him off guard like this, part of you was weirdly happy he had been so relaxed around you, that he jumped at your sudden words.

“It's alright Ember, I just…” Gaster says trailing off for only a moment, “...was thinking that Blizzard should stay summoned, as an extra safety measure wouldn't hurt, after all.” He says. and you nod to agree, it felt weird to keep an intelligent creature like him from roaming free but you had a question for him on the matter still.

“Okay, I was going to ask about that but, will it tire your magic out at all?” You are a bit concerned, you don't _want_ to put Blizzard back in his proverbial ‘poke ball’, but you don't want to exhaust Gaster either.

“No dear, you and your energy are the ones keeping Blizzard summoned and while I should be able to dismiss him easily, you may need to convince him to cooperate.” Gaster informs you, and that thought made you feel pretty cool, to be honest.

“Oh, really? That's awesome!” You say excitedly, but with your volume still low, you turn to Blizzard and give him a few affectionate pets, before he starts to wander around the immediate area around you and Gaster, seemingly checking the perimeter. 

“Yes, however you can not change his appearance, summon him or dismiss him and that will be necessary during experiments we will need to do for obtaining code.” Gaster says, and you nod to show your understanding.

It wasn't hard to figure out the experiments probably called for no other interruptions and your soul powering Blizzard, no matter how effortless, seems like it could cause a problem. You figured the chance of something going wrong was low, but you understood Gaster clearly did not want to take any unnecessary risks with you, no matter how small.

“You will also experience some fatigue from the experiments, so until you get a full eight hours of sleep so your soul may have every opportunity to recharge after an extraction, I do not think it's safe to summon Blizzard either.” Gaster says, and you slightly frown at the thought.

You didn't think you looked that upset, but by looking at Gasters expression you would’ve thought you were crying. You didn't understand what was going on with him, he had been so calm and at peace earlier after your talk, but the walk down here he was...unstable and numb. Were Gasters emotions a direct reaction to him taking the first steps to calm himself and start to break down his guard around you? Was he still apprehensive? What more could you do to make him believe he could rely on you too?

Gaster could see your confusion and stepped closer to you, bringing a hand up to your left side to gently cradle your face. You didn't know why you were feeling this unsteady wavelength from him, but he spoke in his softer voice that made it easier to relax.

_“Don't worry my flame,_ I will be sure to do these procedures in the evening, so that he may stay with you during the day.” He says, and a playful thought floats through your mind, you couldn't help but comment. 

“You just want me all to yourself _‘in the evening’_ , huh?” You say with a smirk as you bit your lip flirtatiously, you were happy to feel a rush of comfort that seemed to flood Gasters emotions.

That uneasy wavelength you felt before seemed to zero itself out and you briefly pondered that he may have just needed some of your normal flirtatious behavior to remind him things weren't going to be so different? While you yourself were an emotional and mental mess, one of the reasons you got this far in life was because of your ability to read people easily. You're sure that ability is even to blame for your talent at reading Gaster so well, even before your bond. Something inside you wanted to feel as if only you could translate your soulmate's emotional fluctuations that you felt, but you have a feeling that's only because you had to so frequently. Sure you better understand Gaster than others seem to be able to, but no matter how comfortable with you he may get, Gaster was still Gaster and you did not expect that to suddenly change. You were still learning his love language, but it was clear that changing the subject when he was weary like this, with a flirtatious quip seems to help reassure him.

You were more than willing to remember this, so that you can better help calm his uncertainty in the future, you couldn't blame him for still being wary, a lot had happened today after all. You were the abnormal one for being able to accept things as they were so easy, but this was not the only ‘abnormal’ thing about you and it certainly wouldn't be your last. 

Gaster moved his right hand at your side, moving it down gently to your waist, as his hand moved down you could feel your stress and his melt away. His morphine magic pulsed through you at first, then just as he had this morning, you felt his sensory heightening magic immediately mix through your veins.

_“That certainly is an interesting theory, Ember.”_ Gaster says in his electricity-woven silken voice and his words and magic made it impossible to hold back the soft, excited moan that quietly escaped you. 

There really was nothing Gaster could do to stop you from loving this, _loving him_. For all the insanity, nervousness, uncertainty and possible danger you were faced with by being with him, there were countless moments like this that outweighed them all.

As the time you’ve known Gaster grew longer, each time he looked in your eyes, you were pulled in for another reason that convinced you how worth everything he was. You could read is love, his fear of hurting you, but his willingness to protect you and continue his goals with you. You did not know what Gaster wished to do after he found a cure, and you made a note to ask him later.

For now, you just enjoyed the kiss that you and he shared under the warm light of the pillared lanterns around you. It was a soft, sweet kiss but as you pulled away slowly, you could understand Gasters reasoning for not always wanting Blizzard summoned.

You felt a warm, fluffy presence to your left and giggled to see Blizzard looking at you and Gaster with what you assumed was jealousy. Gaster, who was still holding you close raised an eyebrow at your amusement, and you shook your head from side to side briefly before explaining.

“When I was younger, we had a dog in our family who would also get jealous of anyone hugging or kissing around him without also getting attention. It's actually really common, but I checked and you don't have a Ph.D. in veterinary practices, so it makes sense you don't know how possessive some canines can get.” You say as you move your left hand to pet the fluff on Blizzard's middle head. 

Understanding the mood slipped away, Gaster sighed and reluctantly stepped back to let you out of his hold.

“I thought you believed him to be an intelligent life, as in not a normal canine.” Gaster says light-heartedly teasing your apparent contradiction. 

“I still do, of course.” You say looking down to give Blizzard a soft smile, then turn your attention back to Gaster, who was waiting for you to elaborate. 

“Just because Blizzard acts like his species, doesn't mean he shares the same reasoning.” You say, and furrow your brow, re-thinking your sentence, you clarify better. 

“What I mean is, he may be inclined to get jealous, but we shouldn't assume his reasoning is strictly uncontrollable impulse. ‘Cause that would be, like an insult, he is way smarter and I’m sure wants to prove he's capable of more than what's expected of him cause he's a canine.” You ramble on not even realizing what a metaphor you had been creating for Gaster at that moment and you got distracted further petting behind Blizzard's ears as you made a final statement on the matter.

“Be unapologetically you, but also don't let others tell you it's all you can be, ya know?” You said addressing mostly Blizzard, but not realizing that the Cerberus wasn't the one who needed to hear that.

“Ember?” You hear Gaster say to you, and you could sense slight apprehension, straightening your posture. You turn your attention away from petting Blizzard to Gaster again. 

“Yes, Doctor?” You said before thinking, and you shocked yourself momentarily, not realizing that your default of addressing him at this moment was inherently, dangerously flirtatious. 

You went along with it though and couldn't help but giggle, and it seemed to once again distract Gaster for the better, as you could see a smirk threatening to form on his face. 

“Before we invite the numbskull here, would you like to ask the question you seemed to have wished to ask me earlier?” Gaster says, and you giggle at his comment before suddenly remembering again, finding your ability to easily forget amusing too.

You took a moment to ask Gaster if you were still shouting all your thoughts to him, or if he had to constantly block you anymore, he assured you you weren't anymore. He told you that you seemed to be able to hold back now, only one or two thoughts would slip into his subconscious now and then. Your focus when you intentionally echoed to him, was what Gastor theorized had helped separate your fleeting thoughts from your intentional ones. If you somehow connected to the void by your betrayal lines and were now also bonded to Gaster, it made sense that you had better control over your mind now; well in this one circumstance anyway.

Then, with no more questions left, you took out your phone to text Sans.

* * *

_\--Hey Sans, so Adelya said you wanted me to ask Gaster some questions, because you were worried. I understand, I already know everything you're worried about, but both I and Gaster know you aren't going to be satisfied with that answer. Honestly, I just wish you would stop, but I’m willing to hear you out one last time about this. You can meet me at the creek, I’m here now with Gaster, whatever you have to say to me you can say to both of us. He promised not to fight you, and I promise to hear you out. So if you do show up, just try not to flip out again.--_

You hate sending paragraphs, it always sends you into a panic when you receive one and so you try to avoid doing the same to others, it's kind of unavoidable in this case. If you wanted to be diplomatic and fair, you had to say more than just a few words, whether or not Gaster cared, you still wanted to treat Sans with respect. This whole time you've been laughing along to Gasters insults or quips when talking about Sans, because at the moment it benefited him more too. You did not want to be a jerk to Sans, no matter how weirdly obsessive he was about you and Gaster. 

You understood his reasoning at its core, Sans knew that Gaster caused quite a few humans with betrayal lines on their soul pain and even insanity, but he also did not understand why. Maybe he did, but he couldn't see that this was Gasters way of helping, you were worried about getting hurt before if Sans were to say something hurtful. You told Gaster if that happened, to give you a moment to respond first, you were confident that no matter what Sans had to say, you could shoot down his worries. You could tell Gaster was still worried for you, but you said you would tell him to return Blizzard to his original size through an echo if needed. If you needed Sans to shut up and listen, Blizzard was the Ace up your sleeve. 

You sat on a bench next to Gaster, resting the right side of your head lightly against his left shoulder, the two of you lazily looking up at the stars in the sky from the clearing in the trees. Blizzard was laying down peacefully in the grass to the left of the bench, as the three of you savored this [quiet moment](https://youtu.be/X_exxTWKWxg) while it lasted, as you waited to see if Sans would respond. You both had decided that if he didn't, you would simply inform him through a text and to have him meet you tomorrow if he wanted. You wanted to tell Sans before he found out through the grapevine out of respect, but mostly to avoid the possibility of drama. Only about 10 minutes passed since you had sent your text to Sans, your phone that rested in your hand at your lap was silent until it wasn't. 

Suddenly you felt a small vibration from your phone, followed by an audible notification ping and you regrettably lifted your head off Gaster’s shoulder and pulled your attention away from the stars to look down at your phone. The first thing you did was turn the brightness all the way down, _because ouch_ , your eyes were too used to only small levels of warm light and the blue light from your phone screen _hurt._ After that, you opened your inbox to see the text Sans had sent you a reply.

_*sans*-- sure. I don't see how he will be any less violent than last time, but tell him if he threatens papyrus again were going to have a problem.--_

You didn't know what you were expecting, but his short text won't matter once he actually gets here, but first.

“Gaster, this is just a shot in the dark here…” You say, taking a deep breath as you sat up to fix your posture on the bench, “...did you threaten to hurt Papyrus?” You say, sounding as if you were still deciding whether to be upset or not.

“Only for the purpose of a scare tactic, Ember.” Gaster says, as he slowly brings his Gaze down from the stars to you and you click your tongue in slight disappointment, but you still understand.

“I mean, yeah okay. It does not surprise me your silent smack talk approach with him was ‘shock-value-shut-up’, he never says enough when he should, and too much when he shouldn't.” You say, and Gaster nods to agree with you, a soft smirk on his face. 

Blizzard lifted its neck and his accompanying three heads as you moved to sit up more so that you rested against the edge of the bench.

“He said he’d meet us, so be sure to hold me back if I try and fight him to defend your honor, kay?” You say with a joking sarcasm as you stand up from the bench, and your comment was rewarded with a breathy chuckle from Gaster that accompanied his understanding nod as he too stood up.

A small gust of wind blew by you and you didn't realize you were rather cold until it sent a shiver down your back. It was the last few weeks of September and it was warm in the day and away from water, but it was night and you were next to the creek. Gaster could tell you were cold and without asking you or even giving it a second thought, he took off his long black coat elegantly and draped it over your shoulders. 

“O-Oh, thanks...I forgot it would be colder by the water.” You say sheepishly, this pure innocently affectionate gesture caused the ever-ready butterflies in your stomach to awaken. 

“Of course, darling.” Gaster responded, as you put your arms in the sleeves of his coat, he lovingly fixed your hair from being trapped underneath his coat.

Gaster's hand lingered on your face for a tender moment, his thumb lightly tracing soft circles on your cheek, he looked so handsome in low light. If only you could show Adelya just how picture-perfect gentlemanly Gaster was right now, although you selfishly decided you would keep this moment to yourself, you didn't want to share it with anyone else. _Speaking of which…._

You heard a low growl come from Blizzard that snapped you and Gaster out of your shared trance, you follow Blizzard's gaze to a few yard lengths behind and to the right of Gaster.

“Thought it was just gonna be you two, you might wanna call off the dog or this is only gonna be _ruff_ for all of us.” Sans says, you caught his pun, but did not laugh.

You were glad Sans was approaching this without aggression, but you also wanted him to be respectful. You and Gaster both knew that you would not say anything once Sans showed up, opting to allow him a few moments to realize your bond first. Gaster said Sans would also be able to tell it was you who was supplying life to Blizzard, so you agreed a few moments of silence may be for the best. 

You Gave Sans a nod to greet him, while Gaster kept a straight face as you expected, the two of you moved together to stand next to each other away from the bench. You, Gaster and blizzard all made sure to be standing in range of the closest lamp-post, not that Sans needed it to see your soul bond. It only took a few moments for the lights in Sans eye sockets to blacken, with Gaster at your right (slightly ahead of you protectively) and Blizzard on your left (also slightly ahead). You wanted to roll your eyes at the unnecessary cautions, but it was clear they were being cautious, not hostile and Sans still creeped you out when he got like this. You took a deep breath, as you were the first to speak and address the elephant in the room. 

“So, I don't think I have to mention what you're thinking about right now.” You sigh, Gaster checked on you with a quick side glance, and you gave a small nod, you had both decided you had to do the bulk of the talking. 

If Gaster said most of this Sans would only get the wrong idea about your free-will again.

“I’m sure you're trying to decide what part of all this you want to judge me for first, so I'm going to take this moment to say a few things before you do.” You say, your breath was shaky but not from nerves, mostly because you were cold and kinda hungry.

“I don't want to drag this on longer than it needs to so here-goes.” You start, taking a breath, you can see Sans stance change just a bit, he was still fuming with his eye lights still gone; but he seemed as if he was going to listen.

“First, I think I _shouldn't have to_ tell or justify _anything about my personal life_ to you, but I’m going to do it anyway because neither I nor Gaster, deserve _anymore_ stress over this then we will most likely have to go through from plenty of other people at some point.” You say, your confidence building as you started to speak, and the warm feelings of appreciation you felt from Gaster in response to your words only fueled you further.

Sans shoulders tensed up, he clearly wanted to interject, but you've had plenty of practice with Gasters subtle movements (and talent for cutting people off), not to be completely prepared. So before Sans could speak, you continued with your beginning few words of your sentence strong and assertive. 

_“I am aware_ he and I are bonded,” you start, bringing your arm up to your chest, comforting your slightly flustered state, the floppy oversized sleeve of your borrowed jacket bringing you a small sliver of amusement as you continued. 

_“I know what that means,_ and not just in general either. I know about the dangers of... _everything_. The betrayal lines, Gasters history with the other experiments and his theory on a cure and how that all relates to my soul. I know what he had to do and why he did so, but unlike you, it _doesn't bother me at all._ ” You say calmly, and Sans opened his mouth slightly to respond, but you were on a roll here and you continued, taking a step forward. Blizzard and Gaster moved briefly so you could make your point, your bravery and determination unmatched.

_“By the way,_ I think it's really shitty that you judge Gaster for something he can't control, _like his species for fucks sake_ , but also what he's done in his effort to **_save everyone else_ ** the torture of being trapped in the void??” You say with clear disbelief that you had to say what you were in this moment to Sans in the first place.

“Especially when you have no idea how...awful...it is, a few painful moments... to save _even one_ person from that fate is **_worth it_** in my book.” You say, your anger getting the best of you, as you raised your voice a bit louder than you should have with your last sentence. Your moment of hesitation gave Sans the opportunity he needed to finally respond, the lights in his eye sockets were back as he seemed to get a hold of himself enough to respond. 

“You’re right, I have no idea what it would be like to be trapped in the void. I don't really understand how **you** somehow suddenly know, but even if you don't you will pretty soon; _now that you've gone and doomed yourself._ ” Sans says with disgusted sarcasm, and you were going to respond, until you got distracted by Sans line of sight going to your right. 

“Why don't we make a bet on how long it will take for her to disappear _now that she's trapped with you?”_ Sans says to Gaster over your shoulder, and the fire that burned through your veins in that instant was one of shared rage between you and Gaster.

Gaster had not moved, but you stuck your arm out to the right, a motion you know stopped all but the violent words of Gasters reply to Sans.

“Speak of her demise again, _and you may expect_ **_yours_ ** _to immediately follow.”_ Gaster says, with an unrestrained growl in his voice, which still sent a shiver down your back. _Now was not the time for this._ _  
  
_

_“Ohhkay, alright stop right there_ everyone needs to calm down, cause no one is going to get a chance to say what they want if we continue down _that path._ ” You said ushering the two of them, Blizzard standing at your side, glaring at Sans still.

You bring a sleeve covered hand up to pinch the bridge of your nose before taking a break and dropping your hand to speak, grateful they both seemed to listen to you.

“Sans, _even if_ I were to disappear _right now_ , and I had a chance to do things differently? Well, the only thing I would do differently, would be to walk directly up to Gaster the minute I saw him at the mixer. Because _I'm only still standing here right now because of him._ He is the only existing person in this entire godforsaken planet, _that actually has the ability_ to stabilize my soul from gaining one to many betrayal lines.” You say with strong confidence, and through your soul, you felt a warm comfort and a longing that you imagined was Gasters desire to hold you or kiss you in some way. 

You wished to do the same, or even to just turn and look at him, not wanting to be here doing this, but Sans seemed to _finally_ start listening to you and he stayed quiet as you continued to speak.

“Once I got to MEU...the betrayal lines had only been increasing at a faster rate, which was probably because of my bipolar, unstable mental state on top of _everything else stressful going on in my life_. But the more time I spent with Gaster? The more safe and stable I became...because he gives me this sense of peace that even _one minute of_ was more fulfilling than _any amount of intoxication,_ could ever hope to provide…” You trailed off, there was a bit of a glistening in your eyes that caused Sans to relax his posture as he seemed to finally rid himself of the bitterness in his demeanor. 

“The craziest thing...at one point it was unsafe for me to sing... because of the lines...they had been causing a super risky amount of exhaustion.” You let out a huff, looking down at Blizzard, you had not realized that you were crying till drops of tears fell from your cheeks onto the white fur of the concerned Cerberus, yet you had plenty of confidence to continue speaking. 

“Without Gaster, I have no doubt that I would have disappeared singing, and _especially after my parents had_... Look Sans, with what I had to go through recently….all of it would have already caused me to disappear by now. _”_ You said, your tone is a bit softer, a bit more desperate for Sans to realize Gaster had saved you, _he didn't deserve to be treated like such a villain._

“Ember...” Sans says, his tone sympathetic, but he was clearly still full of doubt, _“...you barely know him,_ how can you know for sure he's not just using you?” Sans says unable to say more to your face. 

That was a question you had been dreading, of course, you knew Gaster wasn’t using you, the answer to the question isn't what you dreaded, it was trying to convince others your answer was legitimate; that was the problem. You could easily explain that you did not care about the experiments, that he saved you from the void many times by now. There was so much about Gaster that you accepted, his monster type, his brilliance, his intensity, how he can be such a smart ass. But you could not Rationalize easily to others why it took you almost no time at all to recognize Gaster as your soul mate.

“Why?” You say softly, but you wiped the tears from your eyes aggressively, just wishing they would stop so you wouldn't get fake sympathy. 

“What?” Sans says, as he asks you to clarify. 

“I said **_why?_ ** Sans, _WHY_ do I even have to _prove to you that I love him!?”_ You say, throwing your hands up in exhaustion, a burning heat reaching the tip of your ears.

You did not want to yell, you did not want to have to be so blunt, but it was clear to you now that Sans would not be the last person to question any aspect of your relationship with Gaster, so you decided not to give him any more of an explanation than you planned to give _anyone else brave enough to ask from here on out_. 

“Because I just don't want to sit back and watch some tragedy I could have prevented, Ember. it's not just you, Gaster is becoming violent, and if he starts acting more like....” Sans says, trailing off to stop himself before he openly admitted his speciesism and you were _pissed_.

“More like what Sans? No really _like what!? Because I dare you to say it out loud.”_ You said furious that you were hearing this from _another monster,_ you take a step closer to Sans, who takes a half step back in response, which apparently Gaster found funny.

_(“Is this where I’m supposed to stop you from ‘defending my honor’ dear?”)_ Gaster echoes to you, his tone was one of pure joy, you only wish you could hear him like this out loud. 

You briefly take a moment to look over your shoulder at Gaster, who had a light dusting of grey on his face, it almost made you melt; realizing your capability of intimidating Sans amused Gaster so much.

Turning back to Sans quickly, you still waited for him to speak, refusing to break the awkward silence until he did, you quickly echoed back to Gaster.

_(“Not yet, doctor. Actually, if you don't mind, could you get ready to shift Blizzard back? Cause I've got a good feeling winter is coming.”)_ You echoed back to Gaster, equally amused and on edge.

You could tell Blizzard was apprehensive to leave your side, but he must have caught on as he returned to Gaster. The movement caused Sans to finally speak out.

“Listen Ember, I’ve been around a lot longer than you have,” Sans starts condescending, taking a step closer to you, but you hold your ground, standing only about a few yards from him now.

You didn't respond, you just narrowed your eyes as Sans continued to talk. 

“You haven't talked to monsters who had to experience the disaster that _monsters similar to Gaster_ could create.” He says pointing a finger in your direction, and you take in a sharp breath through your teeth, you really wanted to bend back that stupid finger of his, or [point it to a mirror](https://youtu.be/_QFoCp7lgAw). 

“Then what has Gaster done besides the experiments Sans, what other crimes has he committed? Cause I’ve heard everything, so if I'm missing out on something here, by all means...” You motion sarcastically to nothing.

_“Enlighten me.”_ You say dropping your arms to your sides dramatically for his response. 

“Ever since he learned of your existence, he's been acting more violent, and it's only going to get worse... he threatened to kill my brother, Ember.” Sans says with a genuine severity that just _pissed you off more._

“Yeah Sans! Because you threatened to cause problems and fuck up something important to him before he had a fair chance to explain anything, _what did you think would happen!?”_ You say, a small step closer to Sans, you were in slapping distance.

“How about not threatening death on me and my family for a start!?” Sans says in a rather loud voice, yet not nearly as loud as you.

“Who cares!? I've threatened to erase Adelya’s entire bloodline because she ate my ice cream!” You say, and you could hear Gaster faintly chuckling a few yards behind you.

“Yeah but I think this is a bit different Ember.” Sans says putting one hand in his hoodie pocket, and the other against his head, clearly exhausted. 

“How?” You ask.

“What?” Sans once again asks for clarification

“How is it any different?” You say, your voice returning to a more normal volume.

“Becau-” Sans started, till you swiftly cut him off.

“Are you and Papyrus still alive?” You ask, your voice laced with a pretend childlike-wonder

“That's not the point.” Sans says with a sigh, however his expression said he was also _clearly_ seeing your point.

_“Are you and your brother alive or not Sans?_ **_Answer the question.”_ ** You say, you were just about done here.

“Yeah.” Sans says, his tone still bitter and stubborn, he appeared to want to take a step towards you, but you beat him to it, stepping within Punching distance to Sans.

_(“Okay, I think now's a good time.”)_ You echoed to Gaster quickly, before replying to Sans. 

“Then I would say Gaster is the least of your problem’s _**if** I were you….” _ You started, and you saw a shadow cast behind you and over Sans, who stumbled several feet back.

“I’d be more worried about getting on **_my_ ** _bad side.”_ You said with a smirk, as you watched Sans fall back on his ass onto the grass, and Blizzard bowed its heads to nuzzle the side of your face. 

Sans looked between you, 8-foot Blizzard, and Gaster who was just walking up on your left side, Sans seemed to be speechless, which you figured was an acceptable response. 

“Ya think he will cut the crap now? Or should we use one of his femurs to play fetch with Blizzard?” You say playfully and purposely out loud, as you turned to look up at Gaster, who could not stop grinning and was very obviously trying to hold back the start of uncontrollable laughter. Gaster looks down at Sans who was cursing under his breath and was very obviously concerned that Gaster had been seriously contemplating your idea.

“I think you’ve scared him enough Ember, show him some _mercy,_ won't you? It’s obvious he did not find your _only slightly_ macabre joke as _humer-us_ as I did, dear.” He says, and the two of you just couldn't hold back your laughter anymore after that.

What started as a quiet chuckle that you two tried to hide, swelled to you having to _bury your face into Gaster's sweater_ _because Gaster just made a fucking skeleton pun._ You were all but howling in laughter and Gaster was doing just as poor of a job hiding his laughter too, he had his arms around you rested at your back in a light embrace as you continued to try to hide your laugh into his sweater. 

The two of you could feel how relieved you both were, how absolutely thrilled you were to be done with this crap. You were able to compose yourself enough to turn your head back to Sans, who was very confused, but recognized he actually wasn't in any real danger. He stood up and brushed his clothes off and rolled his eyes when you let out a few final giggles at the ridiculousness of this all.

“I’m not asking for your blessing, Sans. I'm not asking for you to solve your issues with Gaster, or even _pretend_ to be happy for us either.” You say matter-of-factly to him, a clearly still amused tone in your voice mixed with sheer ‘I'm done with this bullshit’ monotone. 

“In fact, _I'm not asking you anything._ I’m _telling you_ to either accept this already, and leave this the hell alone, or face fluff and furry over here.” You say as you gestured to Blizzard, sniffling a bit as you wipe away your tears of laughter. 

“I know we can't avoid you forever, with you being a part of the royal family and all that. So, if you wanna work on getting on my good side and not having a bad time, you can start by stopping this needless worrying about my personal business, and Gasters too for that matter.” You say, looking from Sans, back up to Gaster, who still held you close with his arms around you, you give him a warm smile.

You could hear Sans sigh, and it sounded like one of acceptance, thankfully. You didn't take your eyes of Gaster when Sans spoke to reply. 

“Yeah, it's clear you're serious and have an odd, but apparently good influence on him, I didn't think I'd ever hear you make a pun again.” Sans says looking to Gaster, and you're mildly curious how many jokes Gaster used to make, you're still focused on Gaster as he replies.

“Yes well, I suppose that just proves my point too.” Gaster says, and you take the bait so easily, as you curiously ask. 

“What point?” You say, innocently. 

“Anything he can do I can do better, dear.” Gaster says looking at you mischievously before adding _“And on a much larger scale, of course.”_ He says, and you let out a quiet squeak of embarrassment. 

You can hear the annoyed grumble from Sans as your face starts to heat up, you can't seem to break eye contact with Gaster and before you can say anything he speaks again.

“I'm talking about the _Cerberus we summoned,_ Ember.” He says an eyebrow arched at you as if you were the weird one for thinking otherwise.

“O-Oh right.” You say, taking a flustered step back, Gaster allows you and releases you from his embrace as you awkwardly brush off nonexistent dirt from your skirt. You sigh as you see Sans roll his eyes, his gestures weren't hostile anymore, but bored at best.

“Speaking of which.” Sans starts to say, but you cut in.

“Ah right, Blizzard the Cerberus. Yeah look I asked Gaster if we could do something with all this energy we have and I know that Blizzard was _probably meant_ to be some war-defense mechanism Gaster had worked on for centuries, to be honest, I forgot to ask...and...and..” You started to ramble, but your head began to hurt, you brought your hands up to your eyes to quickly rub them to refocus your vision better. 

“Ah- sorry, _long day.”_ You say to Sans sarcastically, but you laugh and finish your thought.

“So...Blizzard, yeah he's actually a sweet and intelligent pupper. You will almost always see him smaller like he was earlier, cause we really don't need people breathing down our necks just because he's big and imposing. There really is nothing else to it so, If you want a chance at possibly becoming my friend again, please keep Blizzard's real size a secret.” You say finishing your rant, you swallowed an odd lump that formed from the headache you got when you brought up the subject of Blizzard to Sans. You vaguely worry if there is something wrong with you. 

“Sure thing, glad to know he's all bark and no bite.” Sans says, his tone a familiar lazy, you would sass him back about how Blizzard would bite if you wanted him to, but you were hungry and tired. 

Gaster obviously could sense your exhaustion and for the first time spoke directly to Blizzard.

“I believe she’s rather tired and I should get her home now, until the morning then?” Gaster said respectfully to Blizzard as he held out a hand, the Cerberus took a moment to look at you first and you nodded to Blizzard and gave him a warm smile. 

“Yeah buddy I gotta recharge, but I’ll see you soon okay?” You say sweetly, and you and Sans watch as Blizzard bows its head to meet Gasters outstretched one.

Blizzard briefly glowed a soft white before his body seemed to pause in reality before dissolving from existence, Gaster brought his hand down as he moved to be at your left side again. 

“Thanks for listening, even if it did take you forever to do so.” You said to Sans with a teasing smirk, yet your tone was still a genuine one.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Sans says to you, giving you a familiar gentle smile you hadn't seen on him in a while and you nodded to him as you felt Gaster wrap his arm around your shoulder.

“Apology accepted, guess I’ll see you whenever then? Also, sorry for scaring you earlier.” You say casually, yet failing to hold back your amused grin, Sans chuckles at that.

“Yeah...no you're not.” Sans says shaking his head knowingly.

_“I'm really not.”_ You say in agreement, giggling as you turn your head to look up at Gaster again.

“Ready when you are, Doctor.” You say sweetly as you look at him with tired eyes, his grip on your shoulder tightens just a bit.

_“Always,”_ Gaster says slightly mysteriously as he looks at you mischievously, although it was no secret as to what he was implying.

_“If you’ll excuse us then...”_ Gaster says to Sans, and with a dip of his head, your surroundings started to dissolve from your sight. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you could not translate using https://lingojam.com/W-D-Gaster the text reads as follows:  
> -Stop-  
> -It's dangerous-  
> -This will just hurt her more-  
> -You have to stop-  
> -Your a worse monster than this Cerberus that you have failed to have complete control of.-  
> -You already have failed her, coward.-
> 
> This is why we don't lie children, it only leads to more lies and mind control.


	14. Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long ago he had decided that he would most likely never have enough impact to be a credit to the monster race and yet the only thing he could do to stay sane, was pretend he did. Gaster would silently feed his ego and bury the self-hate and any emotional weakness far, far away from anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! wow that's an ominous chapter title, welp better state some warnings here, not this chapter but the next one that I'm posting in this update contains lots of smut. I'm warning you because that's the only time there will be actual blood, despite this chapter's title - but it is a very small amount, and everything okay so no worries. I don't want to spiral anyone into a panic, the chapter's moods are set with songs by Breaking Benjamin and that's right you guessed it, this chapter's song is Blood! https://youtu.be/lGUVYzdsH9U so there is the link for those who want to listen beforehand.

The water level of the creek was low, It hadn't rained in a while but, regardless of how shallow, the water still flowed past the rocks and logs nestled in the bed of the creek. There was a soft breeze that ran through the leaves of the trees that had yet to change colors, to Gaster, the sound was similar to the ever-present faint static of the void. It was the first few days of the third week in September however; so it would not be long before the green of the surrounding trees shifted into bright reds and oranges. Yes, Autumn was Gasters favorite time of year and this forest during that time was his sanctuary. The familiar sounds and the colors that would surround him always succeeded in reminding him that he still had a purpose; there was still something exciting left for him to discover. 

Before you, Gaster spent years doing anything he could to better himself, but he knew it was only to keep himself busy. He was itching to do more and push boundaries and limits to find out a limitless potential he believed he had. Once, King Asgore had asked Gaster if he had been getting these degrees and publishing these accomplishments for himself, or for the approval of others. At the time, Gaster had only found it amusing but at the same time irritating that Asgore would suggest all of his hard work was a result of needing validation of those whose opinions did not matter. Although, now as he sat next to you on this bench that was not far from the bank of the creek, Gaster may have found a fraction of truth in Asgore’s comment. 

Staring up at the stars with you, sharing this quiet moment with you, he had come to terms that what he had done to you earlier was further proof of his ever-constant failure. He spent most of his time here on the surface trying to prove his intelligence to those who needed evidence, believing a slew of degrees from the human standard of knowledge would somehow make things easier. All because he wanted to avoid having to constantly prove he knew what he was talking about, because he truly believed there was little he was incapable of understanding. Oh how wrong you had proven him to be, in just a few weeks you had helped him understand, _just how little he had been capable of understanding before._

Gaster wasn't considering the overwhelming magic energy that your bond gave him, there was a different kind of gift you had given him. When Gaster reflected on Asgore’s comment, he admitted to himself a truth he couldn't see before you. For most of his Ph.D.’s Gaster simply took the final exams and labs required, he avoided as many conversations as possible, avoiding giving _anyone_ any reason to doubt his intelligence, but why was that? 

He did not care about others opinions, at least he didn't think so, but he did refuse to let others doubt his words or not treat him with respect. He had spent centuries in the underground working from the ground up to honestly prove his ability to be useful to the king, to all of monster kind; he had to prove he was not like the rest of his kind. Yes, he had begun to realize that coming up to the surface had felt like someone had hit the ‘reset’ button on all of his progress and it had been true in more ways than one. The void had stripped away the healing abilities he had worked so hard on for centuries, but even though he was working to cultivate it again, no human alive now would ever be around to see his abilities get strong enough to be of any use.

He had to do more in a shorter time frame, so he felt the need to build up his degrees to a ridiculous amount. At first, it had almost amused him, that all most humans needed to understand his superiority were simple pieces of paper, it was almost too easy. He grew tired of that over the years however, and the only things that the surface had that still seemed to entertain him were things that also took years to cultivate for them to have worth. Wine, whisky, perfecting recipes, reading countless books, adding to the endless amounts of journals he kept of each event significant enough to help slow the insanity of the mundane and the stars in their ever-changing and increasing vast universe that surrounded them. It was _just barely_ enough to keep his hunger stated, but his real constant underlying motivation was the possibility of your soul existing, it was what reminded him he may have a truly useful purpose on the surface after all. 

The vision of your soul was like a flame that served as the only light in the darkness of the void, for thousands of years. When Gaster was pulled free of it, he still continued to think of your soul here on the surface, you were always on his mind, just as you had been in the void. Meeting you had gifted him the ability to understand many of his emotions that he had previously sworn off, their absence in him had unknowingly caused him many setbacks. For the first time, he had understood that he had been feeling empty, and that emptiness persisted up until the day he kissed you. 

He had been incapable of understanding many things about himself, because the only emotions he had let himself feel until you were only vague empty shells of these real ones. He hated who he was, what he was born as and when he got to the surface he hated that he once again had to prove to others he was of any value; something he never even really believed himself. 

It was clear now that no amount of recognition would have convinced him he was worthy of it, it had been the same way in the underground. He had been a failure to his species and monster kind because he couldn't do more, then Gaster failed to break the barrier. The change that Sans said he saw in him after escaping the void, seemed to finally have a reason in his mind, his last few hopes he had in himself had clearly disappeared. He had only gotten worse, convincing himself he failed monsters, he would do what only he could and work to save anyone from the fate of the void. 

Gaster may have also felt he still had a slight purpose when Asgore asked him to continue perfecting Cerberus, thinking if he could help his race win a war, he could redeem himself for failing them before. Gaster felt it had been his fault alone that monsters continued to be trapped underground for thousands of years, and when Sans could not seem to do so either, he only felt like more of a failure. Since you had also helped him realize that he may have actually held some hope left even when he had been thrown into the void. 

Gaster hoped that one of his experiments, an extension of himself, could continue his work and find a way to break the barrier. He wanted to do so much more than just be the core’s source of power due to his purgatory. So when Sans seemed to give up, things only got worse for Gasters mental state, something that he only realized today when he stopped you from shutting yourself off. He had recognized it, because it was you that had been pulling him free from the same state in the depths of his soul this whole time; you were breaking the barrier he had built around his soul. 

If Gaster had only been aware before this, he wouldn't have resented the fact that he relied on a human to save him from the void. Maybe then he could have been motivated to do more than he had been for humans up until now. Because now it was clear that the endless isolation only convinced him more that to rely on a human, or anyone for that matter, would only be adding to the long list of his failures. Since then, that continued outlook just seemed to bury him more. 

Yes, it was clear now to him, as your soul wavelengths hummed in harmony with his, that he had merely been grasping at straws in his life before meeting you. 

Maybe he took all those exams, because he had just barely been holding on to this false confidence. He was so hard on his students because this is how he treated himself, yet even they had been treated with more mercy than he gave himself. He felt the need to constantly prove his self-worth, not because he cared for others' opinions, but because he convinced himself if he didn't, he was of more value being lost to the void. 

Long ago he had decided that he would most likely never have enough impact to be a credit to the monster race and yet the only thing he could do to stay sane, was pretend he did. Gaster would silently feed his ego and bury the self-hate and any emotional weakness far, far away from anyone. 

It was true that the time he spent with you felt like a blink in comparison to everything else, but it only took you that small amount of time to reverse the chains built over thousands of years. The week he spent staying away from you felt like more torture However, now that he was capable of realizing his faults and these feelings, did not mean he was convinced otherwise.

In fact, it made Gaster realize how unworthy of you he was, he may have succeeded in prolonging your life, but saving a goddess such as you hardly entitles him to your company. It would have been easier for Gaster to believe he deserved to be around you if he had not done what he had earlier. In his persistently flawed existence, he dared to put a block in your mind to stop you from knowing something you would only find out sooner or later. You were brilliant without the need to prove that to others like him and Gaster started to think of himself as a parasite. 

He did not deserve your energy, no amount of words or material things could ever make up for controlling you the way he had. No matter how briefly, it hurts you and if you found out later from someone else you would surely figure out what he had done. Gaster knew he couldn't keep that information from you forever, because after constant headaches from his magic blocking you from trying to bring up the subject, you would know something was wrong.

Gaster knew If someone else tried to tell you the information with the block still in place, not only would that hurt you emotionally too, but it would be even more physically painful. The mental block he gave you on the subject would only cause you to experience loud static and even momentary loss of vision, along with the terrible splitting headache. He had told himself he would never do what he did to you, he never wanted to hurt you, but by acting as this unredeemable incubus that was [awakening in his blood](https://youtu.be/lGUVYzdsH9U), he had failed you.

Earlier you said it was the actions of a monster that defined it and that was painfully clear to him now. What he had done to you, was what an incubus did to keep their victim blissfully ignorant, except trying to do so in small amounts like this never really worked out. Their prey would always figure out what they were experiencing was a result of the incubus messing with their mind eventually, and that could cause a snowball effect. When confronted, the incubus could either remove it, or continue blocking more and more of their prey's memory….until eventually, their victim would have no mind left to block. 

Gaster wouldn't let that happen, he refused to keep the block on your mind longer than necessary, and he decided to remove it tonight. He would tell you about Blizzard after you and he had discussed what you needed to with Sans tonight. He would remove it before you noticed and since he would never do it again he would not need to tell you what he had done. Gaster believed telling you would only upset you more, and you felt so peaceful right now.

In your relaxed state, your soul's wavelength beating with his, kept him calm as his mind wandered over these thoughts. He did not deserve you, but he was the only one who could heal you and he would devote the rest of his pathetic existence to loving you and keeping you safe for as long as the universe would allow him to.

Your phone had gotten a notification and Gaster felt a disappointment threatened in him, he wanted more time with you like this, but he relaxed when he realized he was already undeserving of this much. When you lifted your head off Gaster’s shoulder, the selfish incubus inside him wanted to pull you back to him but he forced himself to focus back on the stars. Your own reluctant feelings masked his own as you turned your attention to your phone. Of course, Gaster assumed it had been Sans replying to your message and you softly spoke to him as another gust of wind shook the surrounding trees. 

“Gaster, this is just a shot in the dark here but...did you threaten to hurt Papyrus?” You asked him.

“Only for the purpose of a scare tactic, Ember.” Gaster says, as he slowly brings his Gaze down from the stars to you, your eyes are far more enchanting to him than all the stars in the night sky. 

He did mean what he said, he did not wish to needlessly kill anyone, and most likely wouldn’t with no evidence of a future civil war in sight. It was clear Gaster would only ever consider ending the life of someone who ever tried to harm you from now on. Papyrus could not hurt a fly and as annoying as Sans was, he did not believe he would ever actually hurt you, physically at least. Although this did not stop Gaster from wanting to kick in Sans teeth each time he would scare you by reminding you of your constant dangerous state. 

“I mean, yeah okay. It does not surprise me your silent smack talk approach with him was ‘shock-value-shut-up’, he never says enough when he should, and too much when he shouldn't.” You say, and Gaster nods to agree with you with a smirk.

You always seemed to say what he was thinking in the moment, better than his own mind would translate to himself. Sans just had a problem with keeping his mouth shut and Gaster may just have a problem with responding with more severity than needed in an effort to shut him up.

“He said he’d meet us, so be sure to hold me back if I try and fight him to defend your honor, kay?” You said sarcastically to him as you stood up from the bench.

Gaster couldn't help but chuckle at your comment, honestly you would have a hell of a time trying to justify the good in him to Sans. 

Yet, it was your ability to see something more in him, that he so clearly could not, that was one of the reasons his soul seemed so...pain-free around you.

A small gust of wind blew by you and Gaster saw that it sent a shiver down your back and without skipping a beat he took off his long black coat and draped it over your shoulders. He wanted to do so much more for you than just keep you safe and happy, but he did not know if he was capable or worthy of doing so.

“O-Oh, thanks...I forgot it would be colder by the water.” You say to him softly, and your pure innocent tone as you looked at him felt more precious to him, than anything he could think of. Was this why humans in romance literature would describe their soul mate as _‘more precious than any diamond’?_

“Of course, darling.” Gaster says to you as he gently helped free your long hair from underneath the collar of his coat, which was almost comically oversized on you, you were...adorable.

Gaster's hand lingered on your face for a tender moment, his thumb lightly tracing soft circles on your cheek, he observed your soul in his peripheral vision as it sparked beautifully. He was lost in your eyes, but your soul was so bright in that moment it was unavoidable, and Gaster felt honored to be so close to you. Up until now he had never really understood the want that both humans and monsters shared for precious metals, gems or material gifts that were not practical, as he never got close enough to someone to warrant a gift. The only people Gaster was ‘close’ to were those in the royal family and they all had more than enough money to get anything they would need. 

However, as Gaster looked at you under the soft light of the moon that mixed with the warm flames from the lampposts, he imagined you going with him to the King and Queen’s winter charity ball. How radiant you would look in a long flowing dress, adorned with diamonds that would sparkle around you as they catch the light, your beauty and soul outshining them all of course. 

Gaster could sense that Sans was approaching through the void and he heard a low growl come from Blizzard that snapped you out of this moment he shared with you. When you looked away from him, you followed Blizzard's gaze behind and to the left of him. Before he could daydream about you anymore, he had to settle things here first, then he would remove the block and tell you about Blizzard.

“Thought it was just gonna be you two, you might wanna call off the dog or this is only gonna be _ruff_ for all of us.” Sans says, and Gaster found his pun tactless.

The growling Blizzard was emitting made Gaster realize the canine had a good ability to read your soul inflections, Sans presence set you on edge for sure. 

Gaster and you had decided to not say anything once Sans showed up, so he could have a moment to recognize your bond first. Sans would also be able to tell it was you who was supplying life to Blizzard, and so the two of you agreed a second of silence would be for the best. 

Sans would not only recognize you were the one powering blizzard, but you were the one with the most influential control over Blizzard too. As such, Sans would most likely believe you would not or (due to your soul's condition), _could not_ direct him to fire a soul blast. Besides, even if you were to order Blizzard to do so, Sans did not understand you were endlessly powered by, and capable of manipulating, the void. Therefore, he would not know the damage Blizzard could do with even the smallest fraction of energy, since it took large exhausting amounts of energy for Sans to fire one blast from even a single skeletal head of Cerberus. Without knowing your abilities, Sans will no doubt think a creation with such a magic energy-inefficient attack attached to little to no monster magic and a ‘weak’ soul, is not a threat. Yes, Sans would probably assume most if not all capable magic energy was being used to keep Blizzard comfortably and safely summoned, that ‘there would be no energy left for it to attack anyway’.

Gaster and blizzard both made sure to be standing just a little farther ahead of you on either side, with Gaster to your right. You seemed uneasy but both he and the canine seemed to agree on deciding to be cautious anyway. Gaster knew you would have to speak first and the most during this conversation, so that Sans did not assume Gaster was controlling you in some way. 

“So, I don't think I have to mention what you're thinking about right now.” You sigh, Gaster checked on you with a quick side glance, and you gave a small nod to him.

You expressed your wish to get through this discussion quickly, and in the meantime Gaster refused to tune into Sans thoughts. You had the floor right now and he wouldn't disrespect you by humoring whatever Sans may want to say, as if he had something to say to him tonight; it could be said out loud or not at all.

“First, … neither I nor Gaster deserves anymore stress over this, then we will most likely have to go through from _plenty of other people_ at some point.” You said to Sans, and your determination that shined made Gaster feel an extra warmth spread through him, it was nice to hear at least you believed he deserved better. 

You stopped Sans from interrupting as you talked about all the things Gaster had told you and how none of it bothered you. As you continued, you had taken a step forward, your bravery in the moment willing you forward with your words. So Blizzard and himself moved briefly with you so you could make your point.

You had called Sans out on his distrust in his species, even if Gaster did not blame Sans for being cautious of an incubus. Now that you had been full of emotions again, bringing up his time in the void caused you to falter as it usually did and Sans took that moment to speak up.

“You’re right, I have no idea what it would be like to be trapped in the void. I don't really understand how **_you_ ** _somehow suddenly know,_ but even if you don't you will pretty soon; now that you've gone and doomed yourself.” Sans says to you with disrespectful sarcasm, and then Sans made eye contact with Gaster.

Gaster narrowed his eyes, as he could tell Sans was about to make an unhinged comment, one that could hurt you.

“Why don't we make a bet on how long it will take for her to disappear _now that she's trapped with you?”_ Sans says to him, and Gaster could have sworn a grenade of rage detonated in his bloodstream.

Gaster could tell you were also furious and he briefly considered just beating the hell out of Sans now, but you stuck your arm out to the right and it reminded Gaster why that would be a bad idea….. ** _still..._ **

****

“Speak of her demise again, _and you may expect_ **_yours_ ** _to immediately follow.”_ Gaster says, incapable of holding back his comment and the unrestrained growl in his voice that came along with it. 

Apparently, his defending you excited you and for the moment it distracted him, which was probably the only reason Gaster found it easier to calm down.

That and listening to you confess your adoration, appreciation and love for him to Sans with such confidence, that it almost caused Gaster to forget how to breathe. He just wanted to hold you as you said these things, to kiss you and tell you how much he did not deserve you and he could feel you wanted to as well. Gaster knew this was important though and as much as he wanted to just whisk you away he also did not want to interrupt you, or stop listening to you for that matter. 

Although you had started to cry and the only thing keeping Gaster in place was your unwavering confidence in your tone as you did. Your thoughts had not pushed their way into his mind uncontrollably anymore really, only once and a while would a thought slip out.

_(Gaster saved me, he doesn't deserve to be treated like such a villain.)_

He heard you as you silently pleaded with Sans to believe what you were trying to tell him. It made Gaster see that even though he did not believe he was worthy of you, you believed in him and he started to think in a different perspective. If you believed in him, then you had to see something redeemable in him that his past failures that still hung over his head would not let him see.

Sans had brought up how little time you and he had spent together, as well as asking if you were sure he wasn't using you. Your soul swirled aggressively at his words, this was obviously a question you dreaded and Gaster knew why, of course. This was a question that would plague the two of you for quite a while as there were going to be people in both his and your life that would ask this. Not to mention the random strangers and trashy gossip magazines that will try to dig up your personal info, to find out just how short a time the two of you had known each other. Gaster hated being in the public eye, but as a member of the royal family it was unavoidable, which was another reason for getting those degrees, he wouldn't have to go out publicly to prove his intelligence.

“Why?” You had said softly, as you quickly wiped the tears from your eyes, Gaster knew you weren't trying to win this with sympathy from Sans, only respect and understanding.

“What?” Sans had asked you to clarify. 

“I said _why?_ Sans, _WHY_ do I even have to prove to you that I love him!?” You say, throwing your hands up in irritation.

Gaster could feel you were flustered and he couldn't help but feel this rush...this mixture in his stomach that felt light and warm as you loudly confessed your love for him. Gaster could see how the orange bravery in your soul had started to spark more in the moment, _you were so beautiful._ His thoughts got interrupted however, as you argued against Sans suggestion he was reverting into more of an incubus.

“More like what Sans? No really _like what!? Because I dare you to say it out loud.”_ You said, as you take a step closer to Sans, who takes a cowardly half step back in response, which Gaster found hilarious.

You could make anyone smart enough to understand your brilliance cower in fear, and he loved that about you, although he should make sure you weren't going to beat Sans up either. It wouldn't have the productive outcome you wished for, so for that reason...

_(“Is this where I’m supposed to stop you from ‘defending my honor’ dear?”)_ Gaster echoes to you, he was only barely able to stop from laughing over your passionate display. 

You took a moment to look over your shoulder at him, and your soul fluttered when you realized how much he was admiring you. You echoed back to Gaster, telling him to ready the hound, he was equally amused and eager to let Blizzard show off. Gaster sent a small pull directed at Blizzard to respectfully request he join him at his side, thankfully the Cerberus not only noticed but listened. A silent agreement was shared between Gaster and the canine with one look as the Cerberus prepared to help his master’s scare the hell out of Sans. Then the conversation took a more aggressive tone as both you and Sans started to shout.

“How about not threatening death on me and my family for a start!?” Sans shouts.

“Who cares!? I've threatened to erase Adelya’s _entire bloodline_ because she ate my ice cream!” You say, and it was impossible for Gaster to completely hold back his laughter, as he knew a few of his chuckles were audible. When Sans had finally admitted that Gaster hadn’t actually done anything to Sans despite his threat, he heard you echo to him again. 

_(“Okay, I think now's a good time.”)_ You said quickly, as you stood close enough to Sans for him to not pay attention to anything other than the burning furry in your eyes. 

As you threatened that Sans should be more afraid of you than him, Gaster prided himself on the perfect dramatic timing of releasing Blizzards true size as he walked up behind you. Sans fell on his ass and Gaster could not be more pleased with the outcome of this moment as he stepped up to the left of you, Blizzard to your right.

“Ya think he will cut the crap now? Or should we use one of his femurs to play fetch with Blizzard?” You say playfully to him, and as you turned to look up at Gaster, he knew it was obvious that he was trying to hold back the start of uncontrollable laughter. 

Gaster looked down at Sans who was cursing under his breath and was very obviously concerned that Gaster had been seriously contemplating your idea. Honestly, he had only been wondering if you would be mad at him for laughing before you said your final thought to Sans. Although a thought passed through Gasters mind, a frame of mind that he had not been in for centuries, as he thought of an additional way to outshine Sans in a familiar, nostalgic past time they once shared; puns. 

“I think you’ve scared him enough Ember, show him some mercy, won't you? It’s obvious he did not find your _only slightly_ macabre joke as _humer-us_ as I did, dear.” He says, even though he did not want you to stop being feisty as you reprimanded Sans, but the look on your face as he made his terrible skeleton pun was irresistible.

So naturally, he and you just couldn't hold back your laughter anymore after that, it began as a quiet chuckle that you two tried to hide. Despite your intention for it to stifle your laughter, when you had to bury your face into Gaster's sweater to attempt better composure, you only began to laugh even harder. You were all but howling in laughter and Gaster couldn't hide his amusement either and his quiet chuckling turned into full laughter as he lazily put his arms around you, holding you in a light embrace. 

The relief that passed over you both was exhilarating and when you composed yourself enough in Gasters arms you turned to make your final comments to Sans. He had recognized that neither you nor him were actually going to hurt him, and had stood up to brush himself off.

“If you wanna work on getting on my good side and not having a bad time, you can start by stopping this needless worrying about my personal business, and Gasters too for that matter.” You say, turning your attention away from Sans and back up to him, Gaster felt like his soul gained a spark of electricity when he looked into your eyes and you gave him a warm smile.

He can’t take his eyes off of yours and as Sans admits defeat Gaster decides to accept Sans’s surrender, but not without a comment that would perfectly add just a bit more insult to injury. Gaster had let you do all the talking, regardless of his earlier outburst he did not get to berate Sans nearly as much as he would have liked. 

“Yes well, I suppose that just proves my point too.” Gaster says, knowing full well you would ask what you did next.

“What point?” You say, so adorably innocent.

“Anything he can do I can do better, dear.” Gaster says looking at you mischievously before adding _“And on a much larger scale, of course.”_ He says, his voice purposefully laced with an underlying lust, and the tiny squeak you let out caused a bit of a frenzy inside his chest again, humans had a metaphor for this. What was it again? Ah right, _‘butterflies’._

“I'm talking about the _Cerberus we summoned,_ Ember.” He says an eyebrow arched as he pretended to have no other implications in his statement. 

“O-Oh right.” You say, taking a flustered step back, Gaster allows you and releases you from his embrace as you awkwardly brush off nonexistent dirt from your skirt. Gaster could not wait to get you home, he was feeling just a bit less guilty, that is until you started to explain Blizzard to Sans.

“Ah right, Blizzard the Cerberus. Yeah look I asked Gaster if we could do something with all this energy we have and I know that _Blizzard was probably meant to be some war-defense mechanism Gaster had worked on for centuries_ , to be honest, I forgot to ask...and...and..” You had started to ramble, but the block caused your head to begin to hurt and you brought your hands up to your eyes to quickly rub them as you appeared to try and focus your vision.

Gaster froze for a moment as he used all of his remaining focus to keep his emotions calm and not freak out, because he realized just how stupid he had been. Of course, you already figured Blizzard was meant for war and you probably would have assumed he also had a deadly ability, if the block hadn't stopped you. 

* * *

Gaster was such a failure, here you were declaring how much you trusted in him and Gaster couldn't even trust in your bravery. He failed to trust in your ability to understand him, to see that a deadly weapon of war would have been necessary in a revolution against the entirety of humans. He would have excused you if you had done what he had out of fear or panic, but he would never let himself off the hook so easily, he should know how to control himself after experiencing everything he had for thousands of years. 

He should have considered the possibility that even though **_he_** wouldn't take your soul, **_the king_** may still wish for Blizzard to be the start of a revolution. 

Gaster was not sure what Asgore would decide to do once he realized your bond to Gaster, even if the king could not see your betrayal lines he was able to see your soul's colors and intensity. Gaster had told him of your soul colors, your overflowing power, and now that Gaster was bonded to you Asgore would put the context clues together. Even If he hid you away Asgore would hear the news Gaster was bonded so he could't keep running with you. Not only did you not deserve the stress of leaving behind Adelya, but he couldn't keep you calm enough in that situation to stop more lines from appearing, not to mention Gaster needed his lab to find the cure code. 

Even if Gaster had not summoned Blizzard, it would be hard to convince the King that your bright soul fragments that were somewhere between red and orange, swirling inside his own from the bond; were not from the same soul that Gaster told the king he had been obsessing over for centuries. If Blizzard wasn't intelligent Gaster could have completely controlled him and had an easier time telling you to stay somewhere safe but he was and he shared the same morality as your soul. 

That meant if you did not want to fight, or simply did not want Gaster to fight Blizzard would only end up refusing to fight or even attempt to stop Gaster from fighting. At best, if it was the humans who attacked the monster race first, then there was a chance you would even side with him and Blizzard could at least be used as a defense. At worst, the king wanted a revolution to ensure monsters equal rights and treatment with equal representation in executive powers as he had told Gaster before. If that happened, and you refused as he knew you would, Asgore could call for Gaster to do what only a few knew him capable of, _force you to agree._

In this sense, the bond he shared with you _did do something_ to keep you safe, as at least Asgore wouldn't ask Gaster to sacrifice your soul anymore. Even if Gaster cured your betrayal lines first, the bond break from your death could cause him to die; since incubus monsters like him are doomed for death after rejection, let alone a bond break. Even if Gaster was strong, the risk was too high since no one other than Gaster was capable of summoning Blizzard, not even if Sans _actually_ tried. The code took him centuries to perfect and Gaster never documented it to deter anyone from trying to replicate it, it would easily tear them apart in just trying to summon alone.

He should be used to this severity of the tiniest choice, he should have considered all possible outcomes, had encountered much more dangerous and difficult situations where he had to be cautious. 

Yet, that was who he was _before_ you, he had a different outlook now, he truly cared endlessly about how you saw him and your influence made his decisions more impulsive, yet now his life was always becoming more exciting. If something he did or had done caused you to hate him, he knew he wouldn't just let you leave, and not just because he may die or more importantly your soul couldn't survive a bond break at the moment. He would force you to stay in his presence in any way he could, he’d drive away anything that tried to stop him, because you were the only one that could keep the feeling of a constant flame which kept the cold inside his soul away. knowing that was what made Gaster so panicked to avoid doing anything that might cause you to hate him, so without thinking he put that block on your mind and in doing so he had failed you in the process.

_The unforgivable sin of corrupting your own free-thinking aside_ , he also needlessly put you in a possibly awful situation that he should have realized the gravity of, he was there when monsters lost the first war against humans for star's sake, he should have been doing all he could to avoid you ever having to possibly experience that kind of trauma. 

Gaster would sooner find a way to create a new universe to live in with you, than forcing you to help start a war or stars forbid; live _without_ you.

* * *

“Ah- sorry, long day.” You say to Sans sarcastically, thankfully your brief moment of confusion had distracted you enough to not notice his slight panic and Sans was too focused on you.

“Sure thing, glad to know he's all bark and no bite.” Sans says, and Gaster could sense that you were tired.

Knowing it would make you happy, he spoke to Blizzard respectfully and asked him to dismiss himself. Keeping him summoned for too long, no matter how easy for you, would still make you tired. You had said previously that Blizzard had the same respect for him as you do and Gaster admitted that could be partially true, as the Cerberus did not put up much of a fight and had peacefully agreed to follow Gasters order to dissipate with just a few words from you.

You had said your goodbyes to Sans, and looked up to him with a tired, yet peaceful expression as you spoke to him.

“Ready when you are, Doctor.” You said, Gaster marveled for a moment at your ability to lure him in with so few words, no matter how far down he suppressed his emotion as he was deep in thought and his grip on your shoulder tightened ever so slightly.

_“Always,”_ Gaster says knowing full well his hunger for you was clear in his reply.

_“If you’ll excuse us then...”_ Gaster says to Sans, and he held onto you as he transported you and him back to the house, to the first-floor kitchen specifically. 

* * *

When your surroundings re-appeared around you, you had been glad Gaster had brought you both to the kitchen.

_“Thank goodness,_ I’m so hungry,” you start taking a moment to sigh as you gently take off Gasters coat to neatly drape it over one of the chairs against the kitchen island, the tall bar-stool like seats probably being the only chairs tall enough to not let his coat touch the floor. 

“I guess I kinda forgot to eat with everything going on.” You said as you turned around to look at Gaster, giving him a warm but exhausted smile. 

“Yes well, thankfully that issue is taken care of now.” Gaster says to you, and there is an odd bubbling of uncertainty that you can feel radiating from him.

“Gaster? Is there something else you’re worried about?” You ask, you were tired but you wanted to take care of any other problems now if possible.

“Yes, dear.” Gaster starts, his expression looked almost guilty and you started to worry until he continued, “would you allow me to make you something to eat before I tell you first?” He says, and you relax.

If it was really important, Gaster would have just told you right away, so you give him a polite nod and agree to talk about it after dinner. Gaster seemed pleased that you didn't push him on it, so you sat on one of the tall island chairs and talked with Gaster while he cooked for you. He had asked you about a few of your other tattoo’s and you explained their backstories to him, your conversation branching to a few stories about your childhood that had a significant impact on why you had certain things etched on your skin. 

You had apologized for talking about it at first, worrying about how little life you lived compared to him, but Gaster just made a pass at you insisting he was not old. You both laughed, because truly neither of you cared about your ridiculous age gap, because that's exactly what it was; ridiculous. Again, you knew from the start it did not matter to either of you, even in the eyes of the law you were old enough to be considered capable of consent, so none of this was really ever a problem, but your brain loved to self-sabotage and fill you with doubts now and again. Gaster had mentioned how the time that any being is alive, was relative, elaborating by explaining a theory on how one year to you seems greater than it does to him in comparison. 

Giving you the example that as one age's a year becomes a smaller fraction each time you make another trip around the sun. It made lots of sense to you, you thought how when you were a kid, one year seemed like such a long time, and that would be because your entire existence up until that point had only been such a short time, but as you spent more time alive, one year became less and less of the total time you’ve existed for. You only briefly thought about how sad it was that one year would feel meaningless to Gaster, but before you could fully dwell on it, he had cut in to comment.

“Time has become more meaningful to me now than it ever has been, since I met you, Ember.” Gaster had said just as he put your plate of food down in front of you.

You didn't know if it was the culmination of the entire day's events, or just that you were incredibly easy to please, but that comment from Gaster set your heart aflutter so much that you had to ask him for some kind of remedy for it. You could tell Gaster could feel how flustered his words had made you, as he froze for a moment next to you and you took the opportunity to lightly tug on his sweater. Just a small silent plea for him to stay where he was as you turned in your seat to face him.

_“Gaster….”_ You started with a soft and swooning voice, looking at him with adoration in your eyes.

“What you said...it was _really_ sweet of you…” You say with the same innocence, as you shifted slightly in your seat bringing a hand up to the side of his neck, you had only lightly tried to pull him towards you, but that was all it took.

Gaster did not need any further convincing to kiss you, in fact, his eager passion had told you he had been holding back this whole time. You found it sweet that he probably wanted to wait till you ate first, yet he so obviously had craved even this small amount of affection, you had felt the same. 

As your lips met his, he brought his hands up to either side of your face and a small moan slipped past your lips into your shared kiss. Then, a cool chill seemed to wash over your head, like the first pain-free moments after a pain killer countered the stress of a migraine. You almost thought this feeling was new, but it had also been followed by a wave of sensory calming magic from Gaster. All of this just led you to believe your stress headache from earlier had only just started to go away after calmly talking with Gaster, and of course with the help of this tender kiss. 

Gaster had pulled away from your lips just barely, his forehead rested against yours, the familiar sweet gesture you recognized as one he did as a way to convey the silent emotion of the moment. You felt a pang of odd guilt but mixed with relief that you had interpreted as Gaster still having something to discuss.

So, you and Gaster ate together after he moved your plates to the table, he had made a dish similar to souvlaki but was really just a chicken salad with greek dressing and half a piece of pita bread. You found it amusing that even when Gaster was exhausted, his ‘lazy’ meals were still fancier than anything you would try to make at 10 pm on a Tuesday night, especially after the day you both had. Gaster was mostly quiet as you assumed he was thinking of what he wanted to tell you and you started to wonder what that was. 

You tried to think over anything you had forgotten to discuss and you finally realized you had totally spaced out earlier in the forest. Conveniently, you remembered this just as you and Gaster had finished eating and just as you were about to speak, Gaster seemed to sit up in his chair slightly. You didn't think you made any movement that made it appear obvious you had wanted to speak, but Gaster looked at you expectantly as if you had. However it didn't matter how he knew, so just happy that he was ready to listen, you spoke.

“Um so, not to rush into the conversation immediately after eating...” You say a bit timidly “...but what you were worried about earlier, was it because we forgot to finish talking about Blizzard?” You asked, a bit hesitant as you did not want to assume in case it was something else.

It would be important to note that as you spoke, during the short few sentences, Gaster went from tense, to relieved and you don't think he realized you noticed.

“So it is…” You say as Gaster didn't reply at first, his eyes seemed to be searching yours for something more and you reached your hand across the table to rest on his to comfort him.

Either your small affectionate gesture worked well, or you used sensory magic on him again, but either way you apologized.

“Sorry, I didn't want to assume. I’m listening now, if you want to tell me why you're so worried.” You say to him gently and you move to retreat your hand, as you didn't want to unfairly use his sensory magic on him again.

Gaster moves to hold your hand before you could however, and as he lightly runs his thumb over the back of your hand. Gaster’s tone had turned serious, as he said most of the information he was going to tell you, was something known only to the King and himself. You were nervous, but you assured Gaster you could handle it and that he could trust that you would never speak of it to anyone else. 

He started out with apologizing for not mentioning this all before because you and he were running out of time to contact Sans to talk. You had simply told him that you also were really good at getting off track and that you weren't upset with him about it, that what was important was that he was telling you now. You could feel the nausea that twisted in the pit of your soul, his persistent anxiety was a familiar feeling.

Gaster then apologized _again_ for not telling you Blizzard's capabilities, but this time he specified he should have told you _even before_ he had you help him summon it. Apparently, the problem started when he did not consider the possibility of how intelligent Blizzard was, and that it was mostly you that had control over him. He told you that not only was Blizzard originally intended to be a defense for a civil war, but he was also intended to be a weapon. You silently made a comment to yourself on how you should get ‘extra points’ for hitting the nail on the head when it came to your guess on Blizzard's real purpose. You told Gaster how it had just made sense to you, as you quickly pieced lots of puzzle pieces together during all of the information you learned today. 

Most monsters who experienced the war say there was a tipping point, one small amount of human energy mixed with magic was a powerful force, which is why humans had an unfair advantage in the past when they also knew how to use magic.

There was an awkward pause so you asked Gaster about how he originally got the idea for Blizzard. He said he came up with the idea in the underground when Asgore had asked Gaster to not only find a way to power the underground, break the barrier, and also find a way to protect monster kind on the surface if things _‘went south’._

You told Gaster that _you would have been concerned at the thought of using human souls to power a weapon against the human race,_ but you also knew that wasn't needed now. Monsters and humans had some-what come to an understanding and _again,_ you believed in the sacrifice of a few for the good of many, to an extent. It applied in this case, you believed that after the war that trapped them in the underground, monsters had to do and think of many things they wouldn't have had to do if humans had not exiled them. 

Gaster said that his original plan for supplying energy for the Cerberus, would be to secure and harness the energy of seven human souls, which he told you would equal the necessary amount of energy required for Blizzard to not only break the barrier but sustain an endless energy cycle to defend or attack. You understood the theory of equivalent exchange, the energy has to come from somewhere and while most people had assumed this when Frisk broke the barrier, you understood how they would have had a hell of a time doing that _all_ on their own. 

Even though you knew that It was still hard for you to stop yourself from freaking out completely, when Gaster told you just how extensive the damage of seven souls powering Blizzard could cause was. He kept your hand in his and you were able to calm yourself more when Gaster assured you Blizzard _wouldn’t_ randomly fire his laser capable of leveling the entire mountainside.

You remembered his earlier comment during the conversation the two of you had in the forest and asked about what would happen if the Cerberus felt he or you were threatened or cornered, you were worried he may hurt someone innocent accidentally. Gaster told because it was **_you_ **_who was the one powering him_ , even though you were only one soul, if you instructed Blizzard to fire the laser, he would and was still capable of the same level of destruction. 

Before you could freak out again, Gaster brought your hand to his lips and kissed it softly, you were flustered but you felt a wave of comfort wash over you as he continued to explain and further calm you. However calm his tone may have sounded, the look in his eyes made you see he was at war with himself as he talked.

“Blizzard isn't necessarily dangerous, not unless you wanted him to be darling, the level of damage on any target would be controlled by you.” Gaster says to you, and you were confused he had just told you Blizzard could level a mountain. 

“Gaster, I can't see how _even a little bit_ of a highly destructive laser would be safe.” You say, you loved the Cerberus that you and Gaster had made together, but you worried if it would be safe to summon Blizzard again.

“Dear, Blizzard is powered by you to such a large extent, you have a large amount of control over him, so much so that you were capable of making him an intelligent life form. In a way, you and Blizzard share a similar state of mind and morality.” Gaster says with a softer smile, a clear sign he thought highly of your morals.

“So wait, are you saying that I’m capable of influencing Blizzard so much...that if I wanted to, his attack wouldn’t hurt anyone?” You ask, yet still worried about your inability to concentrate and _sometimes_ overly-intense, short-fused, hot-headed nature being a problem, but Gaster shook his head, a small smile on his face.

“Technically yes, but actually no. The energy has to go somewhere dear, and it will affect something, you can direct it to kill a human with their back against a wall, or demolish the wall behind the human. Something like that would take lots of practice and control to do so however. Blizzards intelligence, in this case, is a benefit, since you would have to ask him specifically to attack with the concentrated soul blast, for him to do so. No amount of irritation should set him off unless you wished it of him. No matter how ‘Free-thinking’ he may seem, he is a certain version of ‘loyal’ and would use his bite before his ‘bark’ so to say.” Gaster says and you started to calm down your hand still in his and he still softly traces circles on the back of your hand absentmindedly. 

My influence simply works to summon, dismiss, and change his appearance...unfortunately, that said it would be best if we kept up the illusion that he does not have the abilities that he does.” He says softer, but you could feel the return of the nausea in your throat that still plagued him.

Gaster made a point to repeat that no one else should be told of the magnitude of power Blizzard was capable of. He told you that if Sans or anyone else asks you about the laser, that you’re to reply that Blizzard was incapable of doing so. Sans could apparently fire a comparably infinitely less harmful laser from his single skeletal head version of Blizzard. Gaster said that Sans would be under the impression that summoning all of Blizzard was using up too much energy just staying summoned to be capable of attacking. 

You told Gaster you understood and had no future plans with Blizzard for the demolition of the surrounding mountain terrain, and it succeeded in getting a soft amused smirk from him but it had faded as quickly as it appeared. He told you that there may be a situation one day where you find it necessary, he got quiet for a moment, telling you he would _‘take care of the problem if it so arises’_. 

Gaster said the plan for Cerberus all happened in secret, not even Sans or papyrus knew about the canine or what his purpose was and Asgore hadn't even given the details to his own wife. No one else knew about Blizzard’s purpose however, Asgore _did_ tell Toriel he was waiting to collect seven human souls to create a necessary defense. 

Yet the Queen apparently refused to have anything to do with _what would be required_ in order to obtain those seven human souls. It was obvious Toriel wished for peace with the human race, insisting bringing that kind of power would only further cause the start of a war. Toriel retreated to the ruins as she just refused to be a part of any further devastation. That meant you were now one of only three who knew of this weapon plan _and_ that specifically the weapon in question was Blizzard. Gaster told you the only other person who knew Gaster was working on any part of Cerberus was Sans, but he believed the Cerberus was a scrapped inefficient battle magic, and had no idea of its capabilities, let alone that it was intended for war. 

He told you that however, once he fell into the core, it resulted in his soul becoming the energy that powered it and it made him realize that, if a single monster soul suspended in the void could produce that kind of sustainable energy, then a human soul influenced by the void, could surely do much more. You were honestly shocked to hear that it had been Gasters soul that had not only powered the core, but was keeping the underground running for thousands of years, it sounded like exhausting torture. 

Gaster said he believed his soul had only been able to _continue_ supplying energy to the core because of the void. Apparently, if his soul didn't end up getting pulled in the void, it would have burned up completely in the core. The pressure of the void should have caused him to shatter, the cracks in his soul aloud the void just enough surface area for its pressure to not fatally consume him. 

You were using all of your energy just trying to keep yourself from crying as he described things, thankfully he steered away from the more extremely macabre details.

He said his first realization was that he could learn the code of the void flowing through him, his soul energy when combined with the help of a human soul could free him. All he needed was a human to pull him out of the void, and his body could be reformed, but all that time to think in the void had led him to his second realization. Before he told you that however, he continued to speak of events that happened in the underground _while_ he was in the void.

Asgore went on to obtain six souls needed for Gaster's plan even after Gaster had disappeared, and suspended them in containment chambers (that Gaster had invented) that eventually aided in breaking the barrier. Asgore had then asked Alphys to try to find a way to bring back a monster from just their pile of dust. Gaster told you what you had already pieced together at that moment, Asgore was trying to find a way to bring Gaster back and in the meantime, he continued to collect the souls needed. Then apparently when Ambassador Frisk broke the barrier, the only comment the queen had said on the matter was that _‘You only needed one soul to do this but you were too cowardly’_ but then never said anything further. 

It was obvious that Toriel did not want to bring up painful memories, as well as it no longer became relevant now that Frisk had freed them. You told Gaster that although needing a weapon to face the human race could be seen as cowardly to some, but you saw it as extremely reasonable adding that, if you were there to give your opinion at the time, you would’ve done the same. 

Then Gaster told you a version of the story of the surfacing of monsters, that was wildly different from the one the royal family publicly gave. Not only did Frisk have help with breaking the barrier from the six other human souls, _and saved Gaster from the void,_ but Frisk had also calmed down prince Asriel, from almost destroying everything. Asriel, the king and queen's son, had apparently been kinda dead and trapped in a flower that caused him to be villainous. Asriel, the prince of monsters, used the six souls to transform into a ‘ _being of hyper death’_ , and almost blasted away all of monster kind. It was Frisk who then thankfully calmed him down, along with the help of the royal family.

Yeah, you had to ask Gaster to repeat that bit a few times.

Gaster said that what Asriel had transformed into with the six souls, had similar power to that which he had planned for Blizzard. Then once Frisk had succeeded in calming Asriel down, Asriel had broken the barrier and the six souls had sacrificed the last of their power to give the prince enough energy to reform their soul, and in extension their physical body. With the barrier broken and Asriel saved, Frisk had then started their search to find and pull Gaster from the void. Frisk had found out about Gasters existence in a place in the underground that he called the ‘true lab’, and they would not leave the underground until they had found the door to the void. The only one who believed that the door existed was Asriel, and together with the help of Frisk’s insane amount of Determination, they found the door in just a few hours.

However, it did almost kill Frisk, Gaster said that the soul exhaustion that Frisk had experienced from pulling Gaster free, used almost all of their soul energy. He mentioned no matter the extent of their determination after the fight he had to calm Asriel, Frisk would not have survived if they had not been wearing _‘The Shield of the Kingdom’_. It was apparently a gold pendant that had protected them, but cracked and crumbled into tiny pieces the moment the two of them stepped out of the door to the void.

Once pulled from the void the underground lost power, and Gaster mentioned that he had seen your soul again as he left the void, and began to tell you of his second revelation about Blizzard that it gave him.

“I told the king of my vision of your possible existence, and that if I could find and _...seek the help_ of your soul, combined with what I could do with this ability to control the void, things could be...easier with Blizzard.” Gaster said, and you did not catch the implications on how Gaster had thought of a way to improve Cerberus from his original plan.

“Up until two years ago, Asgore told me to keep working on redying the Cerberus for your possible arrival here on the surface. Even though there was no immediate need for war anymore. So if there was to be peace I started to think of a different way my existence, or _our combined existence_ could be of use.” Gaster said, and he slightly gripped your hand a bit tighter for a moment before he continued.

You had been way too caught up in having to re-write this origin story in your mind to respond to him, you felt as if you were living through some crazy fanfiction and he took your silence as a sign to continue.

“That's how I thought to use my abilities from the void to work on the cure for betrayal lines in the meantime, while I waited for you. You had a soul powerful enough to pull from the void and you began using it for energy, your ability to flip the code meant that once I could remove your betrayal lines, your soul can withstand being given... _instruction..._ through the void, by me.” He explained as he looked at you, it really felt as if he wanted to change the subject.

Your mind had only just started processing as to why Asgore still wanted Gaster to create Cerberus. You were confused and had started to wonder why Gaster made it seem like he couldn't summon Blizzard before your bond to him.

“Ember, your soul can provide me with more than just a cure code, your soul is one that _isn't supposed to exist,_ it's insanely powerful and...before we met I thought once I used the code to reverse your betrayal lines, it would allow me the energy to summon and control the Cerberus easily.” Gaster said, your stomach was becoming painful, and he could tell you did not understand what he was saying, was he somehow getting energy from your betrayal lines? 

No, that made no sense, that's just more void. He needed a soul to harness the void, did Gaster always want to bond with you to use you? No, you could feel that his feelings were real, and you couldn't force a bond. You thought to yourself what else could Gaster still be troubled by, the building anxiety in him started to build in you too. 

“Given the circumstances, the king will know exactly who my bond is with, and there is a large chance Asgore may become a problem for both of us. He is the only one who would realize the significance of my bond to you, and what that means as far as Blizzard's existence. It was only two years ago that he had alluded he was giving up so I’m not sure if...” Gaster said his voice softer with severity, but you felt a second huge wave of bubbling anxiety from him, it was almost painful and made your vision blurry. 

You felt you were still missing something, and the anxiety turned to a pressure that made it a bit hard to breathe as you worried how much more of this you would have to understand. 

_How else was blizzard supposed to be supplied with energy then?_ Because, if Gaster had told the king that you exist, he had said your soul would be the only one needed if he wanted to summon Cerberus. In fact, your soul, and your soul alone would make winning the war guaranteed for monsters. You felt uneasy, like your brain was trying to come to a conclusion that you were also refusing to admit.

You asked Gaster if Asgore shouldn't know about Blizzard; you could just tell Sans to keep Blizzard a secret, and only summon him away from the public eye. Gaster told you that was not the only problem, he seemed to realize you were almost reaching the right concussion, and your stomach started to twist, you were still too blinded by your emotions to understand.

Gaster said he was told to keep the reformed plan for Blizzard on standby. Gaster was saying the king did not know about you and your soul, he did not really know what the king's reaction would be to your existence. 

_“You should know,_ I don't think this way anymore, of course. At the time… when I left the void...I didn't know that...Ember it's clear to me that I have failed you _so many times_ already and I should not have had you help summon him. You mentioned that he wasn't a sacrifice, it troubled me you might later think otherwise at this information. I am not sure what the king wishes to do with the knowledge of your existence so I wouldn't...I would go along with... I….” Gaster started and stopped his sentences a few times, each time he tried to better word a sentence he seemed not willing to finish and laced in with his words there was that self hate bitterness that plagued him.

You didn't understand what he had been saying at first, and you were concerned at his sudden self-deprecating comments. As far as you knew there was no impending war, so Gaster wouldn't have had to summon Blizzard. Then again, with everything Gaster just mentioned, if King Asgore had still been telling him for so long to prepare the Cerberus, that meant he believed there could still be a revolution. But he stopped two years ago so not anymore right? You asked yourself _‘then why the hell was Gaster so clearly worried about your response_ ’?

This thought left you with the beginnings of a grim realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank goodness he removed that mind block! Now he will never have to do it again!
> 
> oh heck, well...the show must go on!
> 
> (again reminder you can talk to me at https://somewhere-between-red-and-orange.tumblr.com/ )


	15. The Failure and The Fallen Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But if I can't convince you that your past has no effect on your worth, then stay with me in the present, let me help you so you become someone you do find worthy in the future.” You say sweetly as you gently lean in to kiss him again, you tried to pour your sincerity into him through your lips. 
> 
> _____________________________________________________________
> 
> “Since when were you the one in control, dear?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO this chapter has like almost 5,000+ words of smut....uh you have been warned lol, but more importantly, the smut has a bit of blood in here, but nothing more than you guys have already read about anyway so <3 <3
> 
> Listen, I don't usually INSIST on listening to the songs in the fic, but the two MOST important will be Failure (https://youtu.be/s8U-qrE5428) and Psycho (https://youtu.be/bDb84RH7lDA) BUT IM WARNING YOU NOW BOTH SONGS ARE LOUD so please if it is the middle of the night and you have on headphones make sure they are turned down lower, you can turn them up after the chorus if you want they don't get louder then that. However, I do recommend actually listening to Angels fall (https://youtu.be/hVl5MtdodLU) and if you can take your time to watch the lyrics videos cause idk it just hits different man. 
> 
> so anyway, without further ado...🔥

“So wait, up until two years ago the king would **_only_** start a war **_if_** Blizzard existed, and if **_your_** plan was to have **me** help you...then what were you going to do if I said no? I thought the only way I'm supplying Blizzard energy was through our bond and I mean, you can't force someone into a bond. How else was I supposed to help you summon…” 

Gaster stayed silent as he brought a fist up to rest against his mouth, it was clear he was deep in thought and he wouldn't look at you. Every time you took a breath you felt the brace he built as if he was preparing for the impact of your response.

Your chest was becoming painfully tense, as you started to ache at the tension in your soul Gaster was too tense to help you, you were having a panic attack because you realized...

* * *

**_They had planned to sacrifice your soul to summon Blizzard._ **

* * *

Then, you realized that murder was not even the real issue here, it was more than just that and you completely froze.

You refused to believe that Gaster would have taken your soul, what you're worried about here is the king. Had wanted this war, at least somewhat up until **only two years ago**. 

If Asgore realizes Blizzard exists if he realizes **_you_ **_exist_ , would he want a war now that he finally had his weapon? You were the only one who could instruct Blizzard and you refused to have Blizzard hurt anyone outside of self-defense. You wouldn’t help anyone start a war, not while things were still mostly peaceful, but how would Asgore respond if you had to refuse him? _Could you refuse the king?_

You knew Gaster wouldn't hurt you, and you wanted to believe he wouldn't force you to do anything but what if he needed to, to follow the king's order if he said it was necessary to fight for the better of all of monsterkind? _Would the king threaten your safety unless Gaster forced you to cooperate?_ You started to get nauseous, bringing up a hand to your mouth you took a moment to pause, stopping yourself from puking before you made a comment.

“Gaster, _I know you probably want to give me my space or whatever_ but even if it's not true I need you to tell me _right now_ that he wouldn't hurt... _that_ **_you definitely_** **_won’t make_** _…”_ You started to say but you were slowly starting to hyperventilate.

You don't exactly remember when, as this moment seemed to be a bit of a blur, but at some point, Gaster walked to your side of the table, had gotten you to stand up from your seat, and held you tight against him. It took you a further few moments to realize he was speaking to you as you came down from your panic disoriented state. 

“I would **_never_** _let that happen_ , it _won't happen_ , my flame. He wouldn't risk your safety, it would risk mine too and he cant have Cerberus without both of us. That's not why I'm... From the first moment, I saw you I viewed you as so much more than what I had previously...I was too blind to see that before we met... from just a few moments when I had that vision of your soul... _you_ _must know once we met_ _I_ ** _never_** _once had any intention of_...your value to me goes far beyond...what I first...I…” Gaster started to ramble again and the only thing that allowed you to focus was the fact that as he held you close to his chest you could feel how fast his breathing was getting, Gaster was clearly panicking. 

You took a deep breath and brought your hands up to gently attempt to push back on his chest and out of his hold, but he wouldn't budge until you spoke to get his attention.

“Gaster... **stop**... _please_.” You tried again to push back, and this time he let you. 

Your panic had dissipated and was replaced with a different kind of panic when you realized there were a few lines of dark grey that had been slowly trailing down the side of Gasters face, his expression one of guilt and regret. Unlike you, this was the first time Gaster had cried around you and your heart had felt so heavy to see him like this.

_“I know_ **_you_ ** _wouldn't hurt me Gaster,_ I’m sorry I’m just really freaked right now...but _If you're sure Asgore wouldn't try to hurt us..”_ You bring your hands up to his chest as you press yourself close to him again, you feel guilty from pulling away from his hold and you try your best to silently comfort him. 

“… _please don't._..you can't _cry_ because then I’m just going to….” You started to say, but you couldn't stop your own tears from following.

You watched Gaster bring up a hand to his face, he gently touched the grey tears that had escaped him as if he didn't believe you when you said he had been crying. Gaster looked at his hand as if he had never cried before, and for fucks sake that thought made you even more upset and you had to find more to say. 

“Gaster please, I know what you're thinking but, _don't do this again_....don't go hating yourself for something you didn't do, or rather...that hasn't even happened...I just...let’s just...let's go upstairs and lay down okay? It's been a long day and I just want to be close to you...” You ask him sweetly, your voice wavering from your inability to stop crying, he needs you to be strong right now, he must have hated himself so much for not telling you all this.

You weren't going to get upset about something that won't happen, but he was clearly shaken by the possibility that in another world of different circumstances, he could have had to kill you.

Gaster brought the hand he had at his face down to rest at the side of yours, he didn't say anything, he just looked so defeated as he leaned in to touch his forehead to yours. He leaned in to kiss you and you closed your eyes as you kissed him back, you felt yourself float for just a moment, then a light rush of air around that told you he had teleported himself and you upstairs. 

* * *

  
  


You had gently retreated your lips from his and softly told Gaster you were going to change into your sleep clothes and you asked him sweetly to do the same. After the two of you changed you asked him to lay down with you, and he held you lightly as he looked up at the ceiling deep in thought, you rested your head against Gaster’s chest and cuddled close to his side. He was mostly silent, he had talked and explained enough for the night, so for a long while you gave him a peaceful quiet. You looked over at the clock on the wall, it was around midnight and you decided to try and comfort his no doubt racing thoughts, as you knew the two of you couldn't go to sleep without some kind of resolution.

“Gaster...I hope you know that I don't blame you for the way things might have been.” You said with a hushed tone, the right side of your face rested against him, your hand softly tracing lazy patterns on his ivory soft skin as you continued to speak. 

“Even if you did…” you said, almost barely audible, before you raised your volume back to your previous hushed one. 

“You would’ve just been doing what you had to, when you were faced with...the pressure of...finding a way to protect everyone in the possibility that humans would _do what they do best.”_ You took in a shallow breath, you knew he felt as if he was unforgivable for previously planning to take your life, you could feel it in your own soul. 

You wanted to panic at first when you realized, but the weird need the two of you had for each other, this magnetic pull regardless of emotion, you felt it would have prevented him from doing anything to you. Then when the two of you started to feel this care, compassion, worry, trust and _love_ with each other, however juvenile your emotions told you that you would be okay.

“Humans are known for being violent when they panic….but that's just it I guess, it's not just humans who panic. It's true that it's obvious you wanted peace more than humans cared to try for at first...and I’m sure King Asgore just has…. _monumental trust issues…”_ You say softly your wavering voice revealing your apprehension. 

You did not know the king like Gaster did and you did not know if he may try to make a call to war with Blizzard's existence. You know Gaster is worried he may have indirectly convinced the King to start a revolution, but it was really the bond you shared with him that would have just resulted in the same reaction. It hurt to think Gaster not only blamed this on himself for summoning Blizzard, but also his bond with you doomed your existence to be found out by the king. 

You didn't think Gaster regretted your bond, but you knew he was worried about the stress Asgore’s reaction could have on you. The whole situation in this weird stage in your life made you believe that refusing to give someone the benefit of the doubt wouldn't help anything, you had to be brave and believe Asgore wouldn't cause any problem at all. You had to stay determined, while Gaster stayed quiet, you continued your efforts to comfort him.

_“So hey,_ we all panic...we all do things when we are under pressure or _preparing for the worst_ ….but like you said, he would need both of us _even if he did find it necessary_ …..” You started your voice calm and soft, but you realized you should avoid talking about the worst-case-scenario and focus on other things for now.

“S-So then were going to be okay, okay?” You kept your hand right above where his soul would be, softly moving the thumb of your hand back and forth to comfort him.

“Gaster...sometimes...sometimes we do things that we never thought we would do...or _thought we were ever capable of,_ because it's what we have to for the ones we care about.” You say gently, the change in the rise and fall of Gaster’s chest as he breathed in and out told you he was listening, as it started to become slower and less intense. 

“Doing things you didn’t want to do because you're under a lot of pressure...if anyone understands that...it's me and my panic-prone self.” You say as you move your hand up Gaster's chest gently, your fingertips just barely caressing up to his neck. 

You shift to sit up slightly, holding yourself up to look at him by bracing your forearm against the pillow next to you, your left hand continues from Gasters neck up to rest at the side of his face gently. He looked as if he would listen to anything you told him, but had no drive to forgive himself over this, your heart was aching.

“Gaster... _no matter how_ Asgore decides to react, _it wouldn't be your fault.”_ You say, soft desperation in your voice, yet Gaster doesn't respond.

“You were only trying to finish a huge life project... _regardless of its original purpose..._ you weren't planning to hurt anyone anymore, so you deserved to be able to do that. I **_want_** you to work towards your goals Gaster, you made so many of mine possible…” your voice trails off as you seemed deep in thought.

“Some I did not even know I had…. I was really happy we got to work together to…” You say, soft desperation in your voice, he was listening but he would respond and you look away from his eyes as his unwillingness to respond was just going to make you start crying again.

_“Gaster, please_... _It hurts me_ _to see how much you’re blaming yourself for this_... _isn't there anything I can do that will convince you…?”_ You said, the heartbreak clear in your voice, your eyes started to well up with tears again.

You were just about to beg him to talk to you, but before you could he had brought up his right hand to gently place it at the back of your neck; so he could weakly pull you closer to him for a kiss. 

You were still hurt over this emotional wound of his, you wanted to help him mend it, you leaned into his touch and as you kissed him you felt the sorrow still swirl in his soul. The sound of his voice softly echoing to you, as you gently brushed your tongue over his, it only made you wish to prove to him his worth.

_(“My carelessness has made me a_ _[failure to you](https://youtu.be/s8U-qrE5428)_ _. You deserve so much better than this grief and uncertainty that I’ve given you.”)_ Gaster echoed as he kissed you, his words made your heart bleed with melancholy tenderness.

You knew he didn't want to speak out loud right now, but you had to say what you wanted to directly, so that if he wanted, he could replay your words in his head when he needed to. So you lightly pull away from his kiss, and the fact that Gaster puts up no resistance as you do makes your heart hurt for him again.

_“Gaster,_ if that's really how you see yourself, then I won't pretend like I can easily convince you otherwise…” You say just far enough away from him to look into his eyes that were heavy with guilt, he stayed silent as he listened to you try to get through to him again.

“I spent a long time believing I was only going to be a failure...I got tired of just trying to let things go like people kept telling me because I felt I deserved to suffer for them...but then I would just repeat my mistakes and I knew I had to stop it before there was nothing left.” You lightly moved your hand down the side of Gasters face, down his neck and to his collarbone, your hand gently resting there as you continued lost deep in your thoughts.

“The regret, all the hate I had built up for myself, the fake happiness? I tore it all down... I couldn't just let only one mistake go, I had to let them **_all_** _go,_ and for good. I worked toward what would make me better at the moment, I had to build my whole world up again.” You spoke gently, as you recalled your broken emotional journey, to a centuries-old endlessly-intelligent monster, who had experienced much worse. Yet he was underneath you in your shared bed, your soul's wavelength fighting to keep his steady.

Although your pain was minuscule to his, your words must have started to get through to him, as Gasters breathing deepened a few times like he was about to speak and you patiently waited for him until he was ready to.

_“Ember…you are an_ [ _angel who fell_ ](https://youtu.be/hVl5MtdodLU) _for an incubus in disrepair, I fear I've nothing left to give you.”_ Gaster said softly, he said your name as if it was his only needed word of worship.

It was in these moments of soft passion where his words seemed to become that of a centuries-old romantic poet, and yet your heart would spin at his effortlessly beautiful confessions and you don’t think he even realizes that he’s doing it. His expression told you he just did not know what else to say yet, and so you spoke more words of encouragement.

_“You don't have to give_ so much of yourself away anymore, I’m here...and all I want is for us to help each other reach our goals, nothing you have done, or ever will do could make me see you as a failure,” You say, bringing your hand to your chest to rest just over your soul, this love was still new but you feel every deep fiber of it spread through you with a warmth you could never deny.

You bring your hand back down to gently cup the right side of Gasters face again, a soft compassionate smile on your face.

“But if I can't convince you that your past has no effect on your worth, then stay with me in the present, let me help you so you become someone _you_ **_do_ ** _find worthy in the future.”_ You say sweetly as you gently lean in to kiss him again, you tried to pour your sincerity into him through your lips. 

_(“Ember, my eternal flame whose warmth rivals the sunrise, as the dark fades before the dawn, I will surrender myself to a goddess like you.”)_ Gaster echos to you, and while _you_ needed to say what you had to say out loud, Gaster didn't need to do the same for you to be satisfied with his response.

_(“Yes, I’m here with you and that won’t change, Gaster.”)_ You echoed back as a moan mixed in with your eager desire while you kissed him with more fervor. 

You were just thankful for him telling you in any way that he would try to forgive himself, but you couldn't stop yourself from letting out your content sighs and moans as you melted into his kiss.

_(“The only constant before you was the dark, if it is true that I can be redeemed with all that is lost in me, then before the daylight ends, let me carry you and I to this forever we share.”)_ Gaster was trying to stifle his need for you, but as his echoed words got more passionate you could hear the soft beginnings of his deep moans of craving for you.

You pulled away from the kiss only briefly, so you could fill the desire to straddle his hips, Gaster looked at you as if you really were a goddess that was blessing him with your presence. Both of you were panting and you guided his hands on your hips, then you leaned back down to kiss him once more, unable to resist the ignited fire inside of you with the way he looked at you. His hands slipped under the hem of your short black silk nightie, his movements were slow and he used no sensory magic, yet the feeling was soft and somehow perfectly intense. You also had no way of defending yourself against the way his sweet words and movements of his obsidian tongue that would work together to make you unravel. 

_(“No amount of redemption could make me worthy of your angelic figure, the divine warmth of your body connected with mine is a constant selfish craving I can’t resist.”)_ Gaster echos, his breathing deepening as his hands roamed your body, you gave a soft eager whine, his tender passion making you unable to resist the temptation of moving your hips to slowly start grinding against the bulge in his boxers.

You felt it was important to show him you found him _more than worthy of you_ , body and soul, so with each movement, you could feel the building heat as he slowly began to get harder and twitch at the friction. You hadn't kept on any underwear when you changed into your flimsy black silk slip as your pajamas since you felt uncomfortable sleeping in anything restrictive. Your movements were slow, but Gaster easily went from half-hard to fully stiff with the twisting of your tongue and the friction of your hips on his. The sensation of your clit rubbing against the soft thin fabric that separated you from his shaft had made you wet enough to soak through it. You wanted to take things farther... but before you did, you had to tell Gaster how you felt about this all. So you pulled back from the kiss, still continuing the movements of your hips on his, you give a final effort to reach a resolution with him, between the heavy lust of your breathing and your excited moans. 

“Whatever happens we do this together, _-ah~_ th-there is no other opinion besides yours that I care about Gaster. I gave myself to you, _be-ah~be_ cause I trust you so just... _take good care of me, okay?”_ You say between your mewls, the saliva in your mouth building as you hold yourself back from kissing him, not pausing but slowing your movements for just a moment waiting for him to speak his reply.

“You render me defenseless my flame, you melt the jagged edges of a cold reality that traps me. I will always protect and adore you,” Gaster says with a hushed fixation as he brings his hand up to lightly hold the side of your face as he continues his whispered romance.

“Keep me with you so I may see the world as warmly as you do.” He says, and your body shivers with a desperate need for him before your lips collide and you start grinding against him again.

Gaster moves his hand at your face slightly lower, resting it at the back of your neck to hold you close. Your kiss passionately deepens as your hand moves down to the waistband of his boxers. You move to free his length from the constricting fabric, and he helps you briefly as they get lost somewhere under the covers. You move your hand down to gently hold his shaft in place while you glide your slick folds up and down over its length, you let out a small mewl at the shocks of pleasure that moved through your body at the smoother sensation.

You could feel the start of Gasters precum that leaked from the tip of his cock, you wanted to ride him so badly, but an unfair, devious thought in your mind began to form.

_This could be the only time Gaster was submissive like this…_

You wondered what he would do if you were just a bit dominant.

So you pulled back from him, he tried to chase after your lips, but you held his chest down with one hand while your other hand positioned the tip of his dick at your entrance. You knew he was letting you hold him down, and you were eager too, but when you rubbed your clit against the tip of his throbbing length and he shuttered; the opportunity was too enticing to resist. You both were breathing heavy, and you sat up a bit to look down at his lustful expression, his face grey-blushed as you swirled your clit with his dick. 

_“Ember…”_ Gaster said between breaths, and you knew he was either going to ask you to fuck him already, or threaten to flip you over and plow you but before he could…

_“Do you want me?”_ You ask with a sweet innocence as your hand works to pump his shaft. 

_“Always.”_ He says simply, and you could tell he was close to losing his patience, and you didn't want him to take over just yet, so you keep eye contact with him as you line up his cock with your entrance. 

You start to sink down onto his thick length as it pushes through your velvet walls, all while you bite your lip to stifle your moans and keep eye contact with Gaster.

_“Ah~mhn..E-Ember…”_ Gaster moans shuddering as you continue to push him deep within you.

_“Mhn~Yes_ Doctor?” You purposely allowed your erotic moans to slip out with your playfully devious response to him, you were loving the desperation on his face just as you were able to move your hips down fully, his cock fully hilted deep inside your wet heat.

_“Mhn~ my devoted temptress.”_ Gaster says to you, a deep moan and equally teasing tone, a few breathy soft chuckles underlying the start of a growl in his chest. 

Anyone else would back down, accept this dominance he even had in this position, but you could tell his effort to slightly mock you had failed, his moans were genuine because he was enjoying this just as much as you were.

You lift your hips as you purposefully tighten around him, letting out an audible sigh of pleasure, Gasters hands traveled up from your hips as he gripped your soft skin in an attempt to touch you as much as he could. 

_“Yes~ ah~_ you have _me~ah-nh..i-in_ this and _every reality,_ Gaster.” You knew you wouldn't have control for much longer, and you wanted to do something that would make Gaster shiver more, so you started to pick up your tempo, and Gaster showered you in praise. 

Moving your hips back down a bit roughly, though slightly uncomfortable for you, made Gaster tilt his head back slightly as his eyes closed for a moment as he tried to compose himself. 

_“Stars_ yes, _mhn~_ my stolen goddess, you’re so _tight-Nh~.”_ His moans mixed with his sweet words just made you feel the vibrations of your soul hum with his, and his heaver, excited breaths gave away his real unraveling state.

No matter how uncomfortable it may have started, your own excitement and your combined essence eased your motions and that quickly caused you to lose the last of your composure. 

_“Mhn~_ Gaster your s _o-ah~h,_ you feel _s-so good~!”_ Your moans and mewls caused the grip Gaster had around your body to tighten.

You lifted your hips up and then dipped them back down again, you rolled your hips with your movements too, as you rested your hands on his chest you picked up your pace. You were so far drowning in the sensation of this control, as you were coming undone you heard him softly curse under his breath.

_“Fuck yes, take my cock so I can fill you with…”_ you heard Gaster viciously mutter under his breath, the rumbles of his growl almost drowning himself out, but you heard him clearly and couldn't help but moan out for the incubus inside him that he was slowly slipping into as his mind spirals into lust. 

_“Yes~ Gaster~ ah!”_ Your sex fogged mind looks down at the building intensity in Gasters eyes, and all you wanted was his forceful side to surface, so you pleaded with him. 

_“Fuck_ _yes~! t-t_ ake me and fill me, I want to feel you cum inside _me I-”_ your nails lightly dig into his sides as you grip his chest, and you pick up your pace as his eyes roll back and you force your walls to tighten around him.

_“Please Gaster mhn~ I’m yours so please fuck me like you own me, like I’m your slave~ah”_ You begged, your moans and words were laced with your erotic desperation as your movements acted as the ritual to summon the incubus inside Gaster.

_Clearly,_ you succeeded. 

You heard a deep growl as your first indication, your second being the feeling of sharp-needles in your thighs that as you still rode him, you realized it was from the sharp claws he had at his fingertips. You had no time to wonder how he suddenly had claws however, since a skeletal summoned hand had gripped the back of your neck to hold you in place, distracting you. 

Gaster shifted to move his body to prop himself up on his elbows, and the dark vibrant purple that replaced his previously white irises was the next thing you noticed. You were a bit concerned as you hadn't seen his eyes change even the last time he had been this way, but you stayed calm. At first, Gaster stayed quiet, he seemed to be watching your every reaction as his hands guided your hips to move again, his claws would scratch you every few thrusts, but it only stung as much as a cat scratch. Your mewls and moans were the only things you let pass your lips, there was something in you that told you it would be a bad idea to speak. Then, Gaster picked up the pace of your hips and that's when you realized he wasn't using his hands to make you move, _your body was moving on its own._

_“It's so nice to see how easy you are to train, mhn~ an obedient slave, so enticingly desperate.”_ Gaster says, pulling you down on his shaft harder with his last few words, his voice an eerie calm, yet the deep silk of his tone seemed to relax your body more. 

It was hard to tell at first that you weren't willing your body to move knowingly, you couldn't feel your muscles tense as they normally would if you were instructing them. Your muscles were all relaxed, you could let your mind focus on Gaster, as he controlled your hips, he shifted you slightly to angle you, and you cried out as he hit a sweet spot within you.

_“A-- a-hh! Yes~ Ah~ha~ Ngh~...p-please don’t s-stop!”_ You moaned out to him shamelessly, and that must have been a bad choice in words as you heard him chuckle before lifting you off his dick, just as you started to feel that sweet build of lustful of pressure.

_“Gaster_..w-ha-?” You started to whine in protest but the hand at the back of your neck tightened and you squeaked to keep quiet. 

_“You will only be allowed to cum when I say you can, slave.”_ His words ran over you like electric morphine but his grip on your thighs got tighter and it caused his nails to dig further into you, it felt like a tattoo gun was at the tip of each nail, sharp and burning. 

Your whimper of unpleasant pain caused Gaster to remove his hands from your thighs, he looked at his hands and rolled his eyes seemingly aggravated with himself, but before you could say anything your body was involuntarily moving itself off of Gasters lap and you shifted to the right side of the bed, where you normally slept. 

The summoned hand at the back of your neck disappeared, and the only voluntary thing you could move was your head, which you used to look up at Gaster as he was looking down at you. He looked conflicted and was still sitting where he was on the left side of the bed, his hand closest to you was tearing into the mattress beneath it, there was black saliva dripping from his tongue as it repeatedly grazed his left fang.

You could feel the deep twisting in your soul, he wanted to continue but _he was also currently controlling you_ so you felt you really had to clarify your readiness to him now, because you were loving this and _you really just wanted him to make you cum._

“Gaster I promise I’m fine, we can talk _later_ but right now…” you whine as you only barely succeed in rubbing your thighs together, “... _I really~ just want to be your obedient slave.”_ You say looking up at him with a sweet innocence in your eyes. 

You succeeded in convincing him again, as you heard a deep growl, he smirked down at you as your legs had, again involuntarily, moved apart. You moaned at the loss of pressure again, yet you quickly stifled it to avoid any further reprimand. Your hands still held at the wrist above you by... _technically yourself,_ as Gaster gently moved his hands to your hips as he stalked over you, he pushed up your nightie to expose your chest, being careful of his claws. He positioned himself between your legs, and lapped his inky black tongue down your soft skin yawning his jaws open to caress your stomach with the edges of his fangs he paused his movements just above your hips.

_“I want to make this clear, when I am like this…”_ His deep seductive voice was hot against your skin that sent shivers through you, _“...there will be no stopping until I’m entirely satisfied.”_ He says as his tongue starts to graze over the small wounds he made on your thighs, cleaning off the small droplets of blood. 

You winced, but the pain on your legs had dissipated once his tongue passed over each pinprick from his claws, but Gasters breathing got heavier and with each taste of your blood you could feel him getting more excited. 

_“I can handle it, you can fuck me as long as you need to.”_ You say softly, shamelessly desperate your core was aching at the loss of friction. 

He pulled back and stroked the length of his cock with his right hand as his left caressed your inner thigh, releasing his hold of control on all but your upper arms of your body, he sent you doses of his aphrodisiac magic as he watched you squirm for him. 

_“I find it amusing you assumed I was asking your permission.”_ Gaster says, a deep sadistic chuckle in his voice as he moves to position the tip of his dick at your slick entrance. 

**_“Since when were you the one in control, dear?”_ ** Gaster says with a growl, his predatory tone matched with a merciless thrust into you, and you try to stifle the cry of pleasured pain at the brutal movement of his hips. 

Gaster lifted your legs, as he pushed to bury his cock deeper into you It only took a few more urgent nudges before he hit the pit of your stomach and a subtle whine strained through your lips that glistened with excess saliva. You were trying to focus on ignoring the pain as you stared at the ceiling, but Gaster did not like your attention elsewhere, and you felt yourself involuntarily look back up at him.

_“Keep your eyes on me, I want to watch you as I make you writhe like a sinful-mess underneath me, your pain and pleasure are so very ambrosian to me, darling.”_ Gaster spoke with both a dark and passionate tone.

Even though you did as he said and kept eye contact with him, fragments of memories from your first time like this with Gaster passed through your subconscious. You realized he was telling you indirectly to relax, so you tried your best to focus on only the pleasure as you had back then. When you did your body had an easier time relaxing, you felt small drops of cold saliva drip on your chest and you realized Gaster was using all his effort to wait for you to get used to him. 

Considering the circumstances, his efforts at trying not to hurt you despite his words, flooded your heart with warmth and made you want him more. You hadn't realized you had control of your arms again until you brought them up around him as you lightly pulled him a bit closer by the back of his neck.

_“I’m okay.”_ You said to him softly, and that was all it took to dissipate the rest of the self-control Gaster had in him.

Gasters throbbing shaft began to pull farther away before tucking deep within your body once more, and you tried to keep your breathing steady while he built up and ignited the fire in the pit of your stomach over and over with each continued thrust. Gaster kept his eyes on yours and you could see his mind fight with him as his words switched from warm praise to cold dominance. 

_“How lucky I am to own a goddess as a slave,”_ Gaster says, a deep growl in his voice as he angles his hips upward, again finding that sweet spot within you. 

Your nails dig into his thick soft skin at his shoulder blades, you shutter and moan his name just above a whisper, and he dips his head down into the crook of your neck. You can feel the slight vibrations of his voice as he elicits a mix of an indulgent moan paired with his animalistic growl, yet he nuzzles the side of his face tenderly against you as he continues his forward hip motions. 

_“A slave so desperate she begs to be taken by me,”_ Gasters silken voice almost hisses against your skin, as he licks and nips at your neck, sucking on your soft flesh between his teeth. 

Your body really was becoming a moaning, melted mess underneath him, and when he moved his hands to your hips you could feel that familiar fire of extreme ecstasy you had felt once before, burning at his fingertips upon your skin. You thought he let loose last night but it was clear you had only seen just the surface of how lost he could get in his lust for you, and that thought further caused a shiver of pleasure through you. 

_“Yes ah~mhn-Gaster~”_ You moaned for him as you eagerly wanted to agree that you would beg for him, but he stopped the movements of your hips, and you internally screamed in frustration, _what did you do to upset him now?_

You felt a sharp sting of one of his fangs pierce your shoulder, and you yelped as you felt a cold drip, followed by Gasters tongue graze over the sore area. The wound was not nearly as deep as the first bite he gave you before, and had only been one fang that sank into your flesh, as if he was simply trying to get your attention. He pulled back from your neck and you could see small smudges of red around his ivory lips, as his black tongue easily concealed the copper sweet blood he drew from you and you knew you were messed up when the whole image just caused your inner walls to tighten in excitement. Gaster let out a soft, deep, and slightly unhinged chuckle as he savored the taste of your blood in his mouth, before he spoke to you, moving his face as close to yours as he could while keeping eye contact.

_“Corrupted goddess who enjoys being my pet,_ **_address me properly_.** _”_ He says to you giving you a single hard thrust of his hips and you cried out at the sweet relief of any movement to feed the fire between your legs. 

He didn't want to be called by his name, and something in you told you he didn't want to be called doctor either, you belonged to him, you were his pet, _his slave._ Considering everything you’ve been doing it made no sense for you to feel a burning heat in your face in embarrassment and you decided if you were going to address him as he wanted you to; then you may as well get this right the first time…

“Yes, _master,_ I’m your pet, your slave so please, _please, please let me cum, master please~!”_ You whine in desperation, and your face heated to such an embarrassment as you swore you had first, second, and third-hand embarrassment from all perspectives, because you sounded like a loud and desperate, very well-paid porn star. 

_And Gaster was absolutely loving every moment of it,_ his eyes rolled back slightly at your pathetic mewls as he seemed to savor your desperation for him, and you swore his eyes became an even more vibrant purple.

His grip at your hips tightened as you could feel his claws sink into you just a bit again, like a feline clinging possessively to its prey. The pleased growl in his chest had morphed into a kind of sadistic purr as he pulled his hips back before driving his thick shaft back into you, enjoying observing each expression he could milk from you. 

_“Yes my submissive slave, your_ **mine** , and you will always belong to **_only me._ "**His words were possessive and his tone was viciously intense, but as his lips collided with yours the sweet gentle tender movements of his tongue against yours told you his words had two meanings.

He saw you as his, in both a selfish way and in a compassionate romantic sense as well, his hip movements however, stayed at his brutal strength. You had no other option to moan, you tried to focus on kissing him back, you tasted your own blood that lingered on His tongue. That sweet tense pressure in the pit of your stomach was roaring at full heat for the _third time_ however, and you could not focus hard enough to keep your cries of lust under control. Gaster could see you were beginning to reach your peak again, and he continued his merciless thrusts as he broke your passionate, wet kiss so you could scream for him.

_“Ah-ah~ mhn-mast-er please,~ah I~!”_ You moaned for him like the best dirty seductive pornstar you could manage without being too ridiculous, your moans were genuine however.

Gaster chuckled and moved his head down to nip at your earlobe, his breath hot against your neck, his voice deeply electrifying as he spoke to command you. 

_“Mhn~ Yes goddess-ah-nhg~ be a good slave and cum for your master.”_ He says, and you can feel his breathing became uneven, and the ecstasy of his shaft brutally fucking you, his sweet and dominant lewd words, and the fact that he was drowning just as deep in this as you were; pulled the burning, building knot in your stomach, until it finally snapped.

Your walls tightened around his continued forceful movements as waves of the sweet ecstasy of lustful release washed over you, your head tilted back as you submissively bare your neck more to Gaster as you cried in pleasure. 

_“A~A-h~h! M-n~Gaste r~! Y~yes!”_ and your nails dug down his back as he let you ride out your orgasm that he finally allowed, thankful he seemed too distracted to notice your slip of screaming his name instead of addressing him as ‘master’. 

_“Mhn, fuck yes~s stay obedient, satisfy me ahn~”_ Gaster moaned, he had not finished, but as he so rarely cursed, you could tell he was getting close. 

You mewled as he kept up his hip movements while he continued to nip and lick at your neck and you could feel a single fang of his had pierced your skin again in another spot. Your mind was too clouded over in lust from the after-glow of your orgasm to care. lapping at the small amount of blood flowing from the base of your neck, his thrusts started becoming erratic, and as you squeaked and squirmed under his continued thrusts in chase of his own release, you had an idea. 

He always said he liked that you _‘sang for him’_ in this way, so you decided to use your newly-found-effective expertly lustful voice to encourage him through your twitches from aftershocks of pleasure.

_“M-maste~r plea~se I...a-ah~ I want to feel the r~ah-rush of your cum in~a-side m-me!”_ you were embarrassed as hell to admit this so passionately, but it was worth seeing Gaster was panting and shuddering at your dirty talk.

_“Mh-h~ Fuc-k~!”_ you heard Gaster moan just barely above a whisper, yet however quiet his reaction was clearly unhinged.

Without stopping his thrusts, you felt multiple hands pull you up to him suddenly, as Gaster sat back on his legs. You yelped in surprise but the angle just pushed his cock further in you, he had tangled his left hand in your hair as he braced the back of your head, and his right hand was at your hip.

_“Gladly.”_ Gaster growl-moans to you, the glowing deep purple of his irises seemed to almost melt into the blacks of his corneas and he was practically painting.

Black saliva and blood covered his ivory lips as it dripped from his tongue that grazed his fangs, you didn't realize how much blood there was before. You didn't feel light-headed or any pain on your shoulder however, and no matter how [psychotic it may seem to others](https://youtu.be/lgtxVNe-mo8), the look on Gasters face was too enchanting for you to worry. 

He kept up his movements as he rocked his hips with you in his lap, his expression was a mix of predatory and fascination, and his words alone caused you to let out your moans of encouragement that he quickly matched with his own.

_“A goddess fated to be defiled by only me, you’ve turned me so faithful I’d forsake all else.”_

Not only were there multiple hands at your thighs now, moving to lift you up and down onto the length of his shaft, but another hand was circling your clit. Gaster did this all while he had pulled your head back slightly making your back arch so he could lean in and use his tongue to lavish the sensitive peaks of your breasts. He pushed down your flimsy nightgown and his long black inky tongue twisted around your hardening nipples with his hot breath ghosting over your skin. 

You had never experienced orgasming twice in a row, especially with barely any time in between, but his movements as he moaned for you carried those aftershocks of your first orgasm, into quickly building pressure again. You had to admit the desperation you had for him to do exactly what you pleaded, was genuine, you desperately wanted him to fill you with the hot rush of his essence. 

Gaster moved you faster, lifting his head from your chest, leaving love bites behind he used his true left hand at the back of your head to pull you close. When your eyes locked with his, a shudder of pleasure ran up your spine, and your expression pleaded with him to kiss you. He gently pulled your close, and he started whisper-moaning your name as your foreheads touched tenderly together as the hands that had you riding his cock started to falter. 

_“Ah~Ember...Ember...Ember~!”_ Gaster moaned to you repeatedly, but you could barely hear him over your own lustful cries of encouragement as you moaned his name.

Gaster was coaxing you into an indulgent sensory overload and tears of pleasure dripped down from the corners of your eyes. So, you weren't surprised that only moments after you hit your second orgasm, that sweet gratifying heat of Gaster's cum filling you immediately followed. Your body tightening from your orgasm had tipped him over the edge, and as his essence continued spilling into your aching folds he gently guided you back down on the bed, even making sure your head rested against a pillow.

Gaster was softly keeping his hips moving, riding out his orgasms as the two of you came down from your afterglow. He braced his left forearm on the pillow next to you, as he brought a right hand to move a strand of hair away from your slightly damp forehead from the workout the two of you just had. Gaster's eyes had returned to a normal white, and he leaned down to give your lips the lightest of kisses, before speaking softly to you. 

_“Ember, the most tender warmth embracing a psychotic incubus, faithful to rupture the fake I've made me.”_ Gaster says, his voice a calm, clear adoration and effortlessly romantic.

You swear he had no idea that he's even speaking this way, or at least he has no idea what it does to you. Where anyone else would simply say _‘you're trying to break the pretend mask I wear around everyone including myself, thanks keep up the good work’_ Gaster naturally uses every opportunity like this to make you melt with his heart-fluttering poetic words of passion.

* * *

It was around 2:40 am when you and Gaster had finished cleaning yourselves off and climbed into bed again, this time to sleep. You had asked him to wake you up at 6 am as you wanted to be ready for tomorrow, but he had protested.

“Why so early dear? I'd much rather you get more sleep, in fact if you’d like to stay h-.” Gaster started to offer you to skip class again.

_“Noo~”_ you whined sleepily, “I wanna make sure I have time to look nice for our first day as soulmates, _please?”_ You said cuddling closer to him, and looking up at him sweetly with ‘sparkling eyes’ again.

You could have gotten into the fact that if you didn't go and he did there would be more drama, and you could have even gotten into refusing to take off again too, but you did not want him to mess up his perfect record _again_ for you either. It was the first day the public would find out about your bond, and while you're nothing special to everyone else, Gaster being the one you bonded to was news that was going to spread like wildfire. It seemed Gaster knew each direction this conversation could go, as you heard him sigh in defeat, giving you a smirk as he looked down at your innocent pouting face. 

“My dear, you are _eternally_ beautiful, and we are _already soulmates_ ,” he says looking at you with a playfully raised brow to match his obviously amused smirk, you chose to just bat your eyelids more and Gaster caved as he let out a few breathy light-hearted chuckles.

“Alright, as you wish, my flame.” He says to you with a content sigh and he softly places a light kiss on your forehead.

“I will wake you soon, so we may take a longer shower together and get ready for the day.” Gaster says softly and you yawned and nodded in agreement, too tired to really respond.

As you curled up close to Gasters warm body holding you close against his chest, It did not take you long at all to drift off to sleep.

* * *

  
  


Gaster wondered how many ways he could show you just how precious you were to him, It was true many humans found precious stones and metals to be at the highest value, but would you understand what he meant? 

Would you know he was trying to tell you that you were worth anything and everything he could give you, if he placed _‘The Heart of the Kingdom’_ , around your neck to rest delicately right over your soul? You may not allow him, you may even be too flustered to reply...if he did so for you in front of everyone at the ball. Gaster started to realize why others may want to give material things for more than convenience, he wanted to see you speechless. He wanted to know he was capable of making you feel any and all emotions he could witness from you. It was just his luck that this year was the fifteenth anniversary of the ball, and _‘The Heart of the Kingdom’_ was to be part of the auction at the charity ball this year.

Each year in December, the king and queen would hold a charity ball, where monsters and humans of extremely wealthy high-society were invited to attend. The wealthy could show off by making donations, as there was always press coverage, and the opportunity to purchase priceless art and other items. Things such as jewels from designers around the world, authentic paintings from famous artists, or even priceless historical artifacts, would all be auctioned off there. All of the proceeds would go to a handful of charities that worked to help both human and monster kind. While most of the things purchased ended up being donated to a museum by the buyer for publicity, all the money did help many monsters and humans in need. Gaster recognized it was a good idea to show how both humans and monsters could work together to better help one another, Gaster had always dreaded going. 

The king and queen used to do something similar in the underground before he had fallen into the core and at the time Gaster had even tolerated classical formal dancing during them. Although, Queen Toriel was the one to convince him to dance, and as such she was the only one he ended up dancing with anyway. She was the one who had taught him how to formally dance, insisting he would need the skill one day, but even though he allowed it in the underground at the galas they had held in the castle; he did not do the same once on the surface. Queen Toriel was not happy, but she never forced him to dance, now all Gaster wanted was to dance with you; if only to have an excuse to hold you so close instead of deal with anyone else at the ball. 

The heart of the kingdom was the necklace that the queen of all monsters was to wear, even before Queen Toriel, who had kept it safe with her in the ruins. It was the counterpart to its pair, a solid golden pendant, called _‘The Shield of the Kingdom’_ which was made to be worn by the king. It was clear the _‘Shield of the Kingdom’_ had a magical ability, as when Frisk pulled him free of the void, it had shattered and fallen from their neck, Asriel insisted it was what saved them. The prince said they read it in a book long ago, but neither the king nor queen knew if one of the necklaces had magic properties, let alone Gaster. 

He and Alphys tried examining _‘The Heart of the Kingdom’_ , for any abilities but were given no results. Of course, Gaster knew the _‘auction’_ for the necklace at the party this year was _rigged,_ there was no way the king or queen would _actually sell_ such a relic. They had planned to have a stand-in buy it, and then simply put it on display at a museum for a few months, it would never leave the royal family's ownership. The necklace was there to attract more big-name aristocrats who could better donate their money, to come to the charity ball as the proceeds of everything else for auction still did go to legitimate charities. 

The only reason Gaster had this large of a house was for the underground lab, he used his own money from the underground for everything else; gold goes a long way on the surface. He donates all his salary from teaching at the college, leaving it to Toriel to decide for what cause. Gaster justified his wineries, the house, and the car that he owns because of that, but he had started to see how meaningless those things were, compared to your reactions to them. Gaster fondly thought back to when you asked if he could read your soul to see what kind of wine you liked. Truth be told he chose the bottle he did, a sweet red vintage ice wine that was fused with notes of cherry for its base, because it reminded him of how your lips tasted when he first kissed you. _Sinfully sweet, addictive, and deeply indulgent…._

Gaster had the alarm set for only a few hours from now, and as he thought of all the ways he could keep you as enamored with him as he was with you, he only fell deeper into his obsession. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did i scare you with that preview? sorry 😎
> 
> Also if you find the smut a bit pornstar dramatic in this chapter, it’s because listen, reader loves Gaster’s gentlemanly poetic-ness and Gaster loves the wild lewd and dirty reader so let’s just all have fun here ~
> 
> WELP if you made it this far in the story i thank you, and i reward you with a clear list of Gasters abilities.
> 
> As a Monster: Gaster can see other humans' souls, monster souls, call out souls and has strong summoners battle magic.
> 
> As specifically an Incubus:  
> Mind- can read, clear, implant, or block thoughts (blocking requires physical touch)  
> Body- can calm, excite or fully control someone's body (more than small doses require physical touch, body control requires the incubus to have tasted their blood) *i know that's like a my hero anime thing but its actually accurate to the lore of incubus so heck*  
> 'Healing' Gaster can heal minor akes and cuts with his spit, or other....means....(he is unaware, as he never tried to lick someone to heal them before, would've saved everyone some trouble if he did)
> 
> The Void: he can control anything that travels through it, such as electric signals from one hub to another (cell phones) dimensionally manipulate space (only one at a time, think sans room), and of course teleport. Unlike sans however, he can manipulate the void with precision, allowing him to see betrayal lines, and pull code for them.
> 
> see you in the next update! <3  
> ~🔥


	16. Dirty Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How unfortunate for you.” Gaster says darkly, looking up from his briefcase, to the human who had made the last comment, the classroom fell deadly silent now and your pen stopped its movements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Update already!? Well, it has been 7 days, but still just bearly I can not believe how quickly I was able to write this stuff. It's a miracle what you can do when the world isn't in chaos! I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has commented since the last update, it makes me so happy, legit I get so anxious and sad and one comment just makes me SO happy I ride that high for days. I honestly think its why I was able to finish this update so quickly ;w;  
> The last chapter I posted a list of Gasters abilities. I did forget one little thing (on purpose)....physical traits and what exactly blood does/can do for him. Well, I answer that in this update...kinda 😎 Chapter starts out with *more* smut!! 
> 
> Here is the song for the chapter If you wanna listen first ~ ( https://youtu.be/m5OsBC0aX8g )

Although you had only slept around four hours, you found it odd you were hearing things as your conscious mind started to stir, or at least you assumed you were imagining hearing [ ‘Lions!’ ](https://youtu.be/mbcynqAYOr4)softly ring out in the bedroom.

**_♫ Give me a disaster, give me an emergency_ **

**_Stand me at the head of the crusade without a remedy_ **

**_Show me to the shipwreck, show me how your bones shake_ **

**_And when I'm at the edge of sorrow's blade, show me how a heart breaks ♫_ **

Your eyes still closed, you heard the beginnings of your mantra, you believed it reasonable that the song was always on your mind, but this was different since it was definitely playing out loud. 

**_♫ Be steady on your feet_ **

**_No matter the trouble you meet ♫_ **

You felt the warmth that had been holding you turn you in its arms, you were shifted from your position sleeping on your left side, to your back. Your eyelids started to twitch, but before you could open your eyes to see what was interrupting such a comfy moment, you felt a soft warm sensation at your lips. Your brain registered you were being kissed, and your soul felt the warmth of its counterpart beating along with its own wavelength. Your soul knew before your brain it was Gaster kissing you, and so your lips were willed to kiss him back, even before your brain could comprehend your movements. 

**_♫ Lions make you brave_ **

**_Giants give you faith_ **

**_Death is a charade_ **

**_You don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid ♫_ **

The sweet soft melody of the song seemed at pace with the kiss at the lips of your slowly waking body. Your voice was the next thing to stir awake, so you let out a soft comforting moan as you continued to be embraced and kissed tenderly. 

**_♫ Find me at the bottom looking at the vultures_ **

**_Standing in the heart of the disease, following the hard curves_ **

**_I'm looking for the thunder, I'm looking for the blackness_ **

**_I'm learning how to get up off my knees and all it takes is practice ♫_ **

The song continued to play as your body finally stirred more out of sleep, and you brought your hand up to softly brush against the side of Gasters face. Your light touch caused him to retreat slowly from your kiss and your eyes fluttered open to look into his peaceful gaze.

“Good morning, my flame.” Gaster says to you softly, his voice slightly an octave lower still a little heavy with sleep.

His left forearm propped up on his pillow, he was leaning over you slightly, his right hand at the side of your face. His thumb was absentmindedly stroking the soft skin on the cheekbone of your face, an affectionate petting as you smiled up at him. 

“Good morning,” you say softly at him, and Gaster had moved back, allowing you to sit up and rub the sleep out of your eyes.

**_♫ Be ready on your feet_ **

**_No matter the trouble you meet_ **

**_Lions make you brave_ **

**_Giants give you faith_ **

**_Death is a charade_ **

**_You don't have to feel safe to feel unafraid ♫_ **

You yawned and were about to say more, but it was then that your brain was finally awake enough to realize that the song was still playing. You suddenly hear the music get louder, before it stopped entirely, you blinked your eyes to focus and looked to your right, Gaster had your phone in his hand. 

“Here dear, my phone was in my jacket pocket, it was still downstairs and I had been too _distracted_ to bother retrieving it.” He said with a smirk.

“Oh, so you set an alarm with my phone, that's fine I just..” you furrowed your eyebrows trying to get your brain together enough to finish your thought.

“I don't use custom alarms though, I’ve never really got around to figuring it out…” You look down at your phone still confused as to what you were trying to ask.

“Right that, I did not wish to wake you up with an obnoxious tone, dear. So I directed it to play a song that I thought would wake you up more peacefully.” He said calmly, and your brain finally clicked.

You don't care how he got your song to be the alarm, but it was incredibly sweet of him and filled you with determination for the day.

“That was really nice of you, thank you, Gaster.” You said sheepishly, a small burst of energy moved through you, and so shifting to sit up on your legs, you leaned over to give Gaster a kiss on the cheek.

“Although, I don't think there's anything that could stop me from waking up peacefully with you kissing me as you did.” You say moving back to look at him with a shy smile.

Gaster suddenly leans in close to you, and you squeak in small surprise as his right hand gently moves under your chin directing you to keep eye contact with him, you could see he had a spark of hunger behind his gaze. 

“I _adore_ how docile you are in the mornings, Ember.” Gaster says, a deeper growl mixed with his morning voice, and your face flushes as you try and stutter back a reply.

But your brain was still too sleepy to recover quick enough from a smooth move like that, and so Gaster pulled you into another, more passionate kiss. When he pulls back he lightly grazes his tongue over your bottom lip, all while you're suddenly breathless and flustered-self, squeaks when trying to start a sentence. While you were still fumbling about for a reply, Gaster chuckled before he moved to lift you in his arms.

_“Eeep!”_ You squeaked again holding on to him from your continued shock as he carried you in his arms to the bathroom, you assumed Gaster had summoned hands to start the shower, as you could hear the running water behind you.

“Gaster!” You say in flustered light-hearted annoyance as you lightly tap his shoulder in reprimand.

“Well the docility was nice when it lasted.” he says with a sigh just rolls his eyes and pairs it with a smirk before gently setting you down.

“W-Well you can't just...do those things first thing in the morning and expect me not to get... we have to get ready, we can't just-” You wanted to ramble more about how flustered you were, but you were still very much distracted to reply properly.

“Yes I know dear, that's why we're taking a shower.” Gaster looks down at you pushing a strand of hair out of your face, you cross your arms and try your best to be jokingly-irritated, but you can't stop yourself from getting lost in his eyes.

“Of course, _it wouldn't be surprising to me…”_ Gaster steps closer to you, and you submissively uncross your arms, taking a half step back.

_“...if your wish was to satisfy me…”_ He brings his hands to your hips, and they slip under your black silk mini nightgown, _“...first thing in the morning…”_ his hands slipped up your torso and you moved to obediently lift your arms, your nightgown falling to the floor beside you. 

It was all you wore to bed after the two of you cleaned up, Gaster likewise had only the clean boxers he had put on then too and you admired how handsomely dominant he looked.

_“...before class like this…”_ He gently grabs your hand and guides it to the waistband of his boxers, you could only let out a small whimper, it felt like you were in a trance as you gently tugged at them.

Gaster helps you and as he steps out of his boxers, he takes another few steps towards you, causing you to again walk backward. 

“What’s the colloquial name humans give your situation again?” He keeps walking you back like this until you back up into the warm water of the shower, then slightly out of the stream when you feel your back reach the [wall of the shower. ](https://imgur.com/a/ZeWy6rP) Gaster was half in and half out of the stream of the water, he brought his right hand to the side of your face, his left to the small of your back as he pulled you close. 

“Ah, _right…”_ His thumb lightly grazes your bottom lip, you let out another quiet moan of anticipation when you see the look in his eyes, and his tongue grazes his left fang impatiently; a familiar animalistic, erotic display of his.

“ _‘Teacher's pet’.”_ Gaster says, before moving to kiss you and you impatiently kiss him back, he takes a few steps, walking you backward with him into the warmth of the shower stream. 

The water cascades over the two of you, the steam touches the tip of your tongue whenever it gets a small break from dancing over Gasters own long tendril, which hungrily claims your kiss. You heard an echo in your mind, but it wasn't Gaster’s voice, it was _your voice_ that was playing _back to you_ and it was saying something you didn't remember saying, _out loud at least._

_(_ **_*_ ** _"_ _Gaster, I promise I’ll do anything you want to later, but there are still things we should-”_ **_*_ ** _)_

Gaster pulls back from the kiss, to look you in your eyes that fluttered open, your hair was soaked and you were panting.

_“Do you remember the promise you made to me yesterday morning?”_ Gaster says, his voice laced with silk, his right hand traveled down your body to rest at your hip, as his left hand had already been; you shuddered underneath his touch and the exciting mischievous intent interwoven in his words. 

Flashes of memories of your night with him on Sunday pass through your mind, specifically when you were on your knees in front of him, he clearly was asking something _specific_ of you.

“Oh, _t-that_ , you... _now?”_ You said between breaths, and Gaster gave a wickedly pleased smirk and a single nod at your realization that he would very much like to cash in your promise of _‘anything’_ now.

You were worried this would take up too much time, but apparently, Gaster had already thought this through.

_“Don't worry dear_ , it shouldn't take too long _if you do your job well_ , and I’ll make sure to wash your body while you’re _busy.”_ He says, his last few words seeming to hiss with his lustful tone.

“O-kay…” you say softly with a nod, and he leans in to nuzzle your neck, kissing you softly right below your ear and you could hear him give you a few breathy chuckles, clearly pleased with your answer. 

_"Good girl.”_ You hear him say, his voice deep and almost raspy, and even in the heat of the shower his words made goosebumps form on your arms and even down your legs, he moved his left hand up from your hip to tangle in the hair at the back of your head, a sensation that seemed to release the tension you didn't know you had trapped in the muscles of your body. 

He had an unnatural ability to know your body like this, his words were a drug on their own, the perfect volume, the perfect pitch, and when they passed his lips and graced your ears, you melted. The heat of those words hitting your skin was certainly hotter than the water flowing down your naked body, the continued surrounding steam told you that even so, the water itself was still running plenty hot.

This all made you more than eager to please him, the moan you gave him in response to his praise was a clear sign of that, Gaster kisses softly down your neck and you let out a content sigh as you press yourself closer up against him. You could feel his half-hard member against your stomach and he gives a low pleased hum as you move your left hand between your bodies to tentatively stroke the length of his cock. Gaster pulls back from your neck tugging at your hair slightly with his left hand to direct your attention to his intense gaze once more. 

“Ember, be a well-behaved pet and _sit for me, won't you?”_ Gaster purred, and even though he spoke his words as a demand, his entranced demeanor was one that clearly conveyed his adoration for you at that moment.

You nod your head, not sure what he would prefer to be addressed as, and not wanting to be punished for not correctly doing so, _maybe he was training you after all_. You slowly turned your body, and Gaster guided you back till your legs hit the bench to the right in the shower, and you sat down on it for him as he asked, obediently. Gaster released his hold on your hair once you sat down, pushing your wet hair back, your left hand still stroked his length while he tilted your chin up so you looked up at him. You kept your head at that angle while he braced his left hand on the wall behind you, he has a summoned hand bring the showerhead-extension to run the warm water to push your hair back, all while the normal shower water pressure stayed the same. _Wow, rich people live at the height of luxury with endless hot water and constant strong water pressure._ While you were briefly distracted you felt the summon hand that had started to lather your hair with shampoo pull your hair back with satisfying force and you yelped out of shock more than pain. When you did your mouth opened of course, and that gave Gaster the perfect opportunity to shove the tip of his cock in your mouth. 

“Mhn~ Ember dear, don't get distracted now…” Gaster says in an odd innocence, that only made sense when paired with the dark tone of his next few words, _“...you have work to do.”_ He growled as he pushed himself further into your mouth, and you gagged momentarily, too distracted by everything else to focus. 

The hand at the back of your head eased up, releasing your hair, and Gaster pulled back so you could breathe, you coughed a few times before giving him a nod and whining. You looked up at Gaster sweetly, running your tongue along the underside of his cock, his pitch-black pre-cum coating more than just your lips in the wetness of the shower. As Gaster watched you, you could tell his breathing got more intense the closer to the tip of his dick your tongue got, so you swirl your tongue around it, you were rewarded with a short moan of approval from him.

You felt another summoned hand join the other at your hair to help massage your scalp as Gaster's true right hand gently rested at your forehead to make sure the water and shampoo stayed out of your eyes. His sweet gesture motivates you to finally take his length into your mouth, and you worked on sucking and twirling your tongue on the top of his shaft, while your left stroked the base. Another deep moan escapes Gaster and as you sucked and bobbed your head a bit farther down his cock he starts to thrust his hips lightly with your movements, his left hand still braced against the wall behind you. You wanted to get just a little payback for him last night, and so you pull back and his hard length, decently swollen and sensitive at the tip, slips out of your mouth with a lewd wet pop. Gaster who was thoroughly enjoying your submission until then looks down at you as if to say _‘you better have a good reason for stopping’._

“I think the others will be jealous that I get this _kind of extra attention from you, Doctor. How well do you think you’ll be able to focus in class today?”_ You whisper deviously, your lips still lightly grazing the tip of his throbbing length as you talked.

Your left hand was still giving his shaft steady strokes, pulling your mouth back a bit you let the tip of his head slip between your middle and index finger; allowing you to put more blissful pressure into your movements that elicited a deep growled moan from Gaster before he replied to you.

“It seems you forgot _my promise to you_ _already,_ Ember.” He says, a warning tone clear in his voice, you felt the water clear away the suds of shampoo in your hair as he spoke but your mischievous expression stayed on your face as you looked up at him.

Until a summoned hand appears to firmly yet gently grip around your throat, applying pressure only to the sides of your neck, lightly cutting off your blood flow just enough to get your attention. You squeaked, and bite your lip excitedly as you look up at him a glimmer of mischief in your eyes.

_“For each time you chose to attempt to shake my composure, I will return the sentiment multiplied by ten once we return home, dear.”_ Gaster says, choosing to out loud recall his words instead of echoing them, for added severity.

His words made the pressure between your legs build and you squirmed in your seat at the bench, but it was his next few sentences that made you shiver so hard you swore you almost came.

“So...I want you to imagine in class today, _what would others think…”_ Gaster started, and the hand at your throat disappeared, it wasn't needed with you _involuntarily_ opening your mouth and all. 

Gaster had you move your left hand from his shaft to between your thighs, he slipped the head of his dick back in your mouth and you whimpered as he had your own fingers circle your clit. 

_“If they saw your mouth on me like this….”_ He says, a dark teasing hiss in his voice, he starts to rock his hips slowly, thrusting his cock in and out of your mouth.

You moaned, happy to have some relief from the lustful pressure, you felt more summoned hands wash and grope your body, a few staying to tease the nipples of your breasts.

“As we fulfill your _delinquent fantasies for your teacher like this…”_ He says softly and _visually_ your surroundings began to _appear_ to look like the classroom, but from the soft droplets of water, and for other obvious reasons you knew you were still in the shower physically. _Was Gaster making you hallucinate?_ You didn't even register your head bobbing with his tempo.

“Show them how you only behave like this seductive tramp for me, _while you let me fuck your throat like a good girl.”_ Gaster growled possessively, and you felt his control release from your body, his right hand now forcefully holding you down with his full cock shoved down your throat. 

You could feel tears building in your eyes from trying not to gag, and at the last moment he let go and let you pull back, you gasped for air and coughed once. 

_“Gaster~,”_ You whimpered to him, panting and looking up at him desperately, you were _painfully horny_ now. 

The whole scene was blurry so you couldn't make out any faces but just the vague suggestion you were in the classroom with others watching had made you realize you might have a bit of a voyeurism kink. Knowing, in reality, you were still safe at home with him added another level to this mind game, Gaster looked at you with little pity, oh that's right _you teased him_. So whining in defeat you kept eye contact with him as you again took him into your mouth, and your face was hot and flushed, you realized it was more embarrassing to take your eyes off Gaster. 

To look anywhere else in your ‘surroundings’ made you think you were in public, and you felt more comforted looking into Gasters eyes, something told you he wouldn't let you just close them. His face was becoming just as flushed as yours, in his respective grey color, as you could tell he loved that you were _technically_ willfully choosing not to look away from him; his hips started to move in tandem with the bobbing of your head again.

_“Ahn~ yes Ember,_ you're such a good girl, _mhn~_ my _pet.”_ Gaster moans, the steam of the shower was making you a bit lightheaded but it made it all the easier for you to deep throat gaster properly. 

You wanted to please him, _you wanted him to let you cum_ , so you did your best to work his cock in and out of your mouth and when you could, you took all of him into your throat and held yourself there. Gaster would encourage you with his moans and praise, especially when he could push himself into the back of your throat and you whimpered for him desperately in response. 

Just when you thought you couldn't handle anymore and that the desperate burning need building between your legs would be the death of you, Gaster had his right hand pull your head back to halt your movements; the classroom maroge melting back into the familiar environment of the shower again.

_“Stand.”_ Gaster said, he was breathing heavily and you did not hesitate to obey his order, hoping this meant he would let you cum.

_“Back against the wall, darling.”_ He says and you again eagerly obey, moving to the side away from the bench to press your back against the wall.

Gaster hungrily stalked up to you as his hands ran down your body to your hips, he brought his left hand to lift up your right thigh to wrap around his waist, and visions of your moment in the alleyway with him on Saturday flashed into your mind.

_“You know dear…”_ Gaster starts bringing his right hand to your other thigh, and you get the hint to give a small hop from the floor so he can catch you as your other leg wraps around his waist, your ankles locking together behind him,

“I don't think I'll be the one…” He shifts to line himself up with your now dripping, quivering entrance, “having a _hard time_ paying attention in class today.” He says shifting and moving hips up just as your body weight causes you to sink down onto his cock, and you cry out in lust for him. Gaster begins to fuck you earnestly against the shower wall for some time until the two of you were climaxing together again, marking the perfect start to your first day as soulmates. 

Well, it’s the first day that the two of you being soul mates was going to become public knowledge anyway, close enough.

* * *

Thankfully you had plenty of time to still get ready after your more-than-steamy shower with Gaster, who seemed so content and awake he may not even require coffee this morning, but you most definitely still needed coffee. You weren't tired though, just in a bit of a mix between a giggly happy haze, and a focused ‘gotta look my best’ morning attitude. 

You had put on your undergarments and just as you were doing your makeup, you looked in the mirror at your neck, remembering last night Gaster had drawn blood again. At least you thought so, but when you looked there, all that was left were small circle-shaped scabs, no bruising or redness.

“Huh,” you say to yourself, you suddenly remember your hips and how his nails had pierced them too, but when you looked down all you saw was even tinier insignificant red dots. 

Finishing up your makeup, before putting on your clothes you walked back into the closest (it was honestly a whole other room) to find Gaster almost fully dressed. He was tying his tie around the collar of his dress shirt, and regardless of how the morning started, this moment made your heart race significantly. He chose a black dress shirt with a grey tie and he looked so handsome, he gave you a side glance and a smirk.

“Sorry dear, were you the only one allowed to look good today?” He asks you teasingly, you click your tongue, smirking yourself and shaking your head before you reply.

“Of course not, don't mind me I'm just enjoying the view~,” You say playfully in a sing-song voice giggling as you bounce-step over to look through your clothes you had hung up last night before changing into your pajamas for _the first time_ anyway.

You heard Gaster hum in amused-agreement, you looked for a dress you thought would cover your shoulder, no matter how discrete the bite marks, they were still there. You didn't feel like getting stared at for the wrong reasons, so you found the [perfect dress](https://imgur.com/a/A7oikiT) that was not only cute, but a bit milder than your normal wardrobe. You loved dressing for dramatic effect, but you were going to be looked at enough today and you wanted to keep yourself a bit professional, if only for today. You put on the dress, yet you still needed help zipping up the back, and so as you held up your hair, Gaster who had first placed a chaste kiss at the back of your neck, helped zip it up for you. 

_“Thank you,”_ you started sweetly, “you know, I’m surprised I don't have more marks to hide.” You say turning around to face him and smiling at him playfully.

Gaster tucks one arm under the other, then brings his hand to his face as if he was appraising your appearance, and he smirks.

“You look, beautiful dear, that dress frames you perfectly, but you are right _I should have marked you more.”_ Gaster says casually, before walking off to grab his dress shoes from the shelf.

You of course froze, flustered you were able to get out one sentence though…

“T-That's not what I meant and you know it.” You say and escape back to the bathroom hearing Gaster lightly laugh as you do.

You start to dry your hair, again with the hairdryer you brought with you, grateful you had as you were able to properly style your hair today. 

Your hair rested perfectly on your shoulders, it was soft and voluminous and you thanked the expensive lush hair products for that. The last thing you had to do was put on lipstick, and so you put on a black matt kind, the perfect application of which matched your miraculously perfect eyeliner, a combined miracle you only experience every once in a while. You looked at the clock with still 30 minutes till you and Gaster had to leave for class. You had been texting Adelya back and forth after the shower as you were getting ready, she told you Sans had filled her in that things went okay last night, and you apologized for getting distracted with Gaster and ‘sexy times’. 

She told you it was fine, finding the whole situation hilarious, although she did ask about Blizzard. Sans had only told her there was a dog with you and you had told her she could meet Blizzard later that evening, expressing your wish to meet up with Haru beforehand. You had started a group chat between you, Adelya, and Haru, and the three of you agreed to meet at the cafe again when you were all free. Haru saw you only three days ago and that kinda frazzled you after everything you've been through in the last few days, Sunday seemed like such a long time ago. After Class with Gaster, you were free of course as you had officially dropped out of all your other classes for the semester, and Gaster would be busy teaching other classes till 5 pm anyway. 

You told Haru she would most likely hear some news about you today before you met but that you would explain to her once you all were at the cafe. You had already told Adelya about the bond and that other monsters would be able to tell the second they saw you and him in class. She agreed due to who Gaster was that you were going to get some stares, she offered to cut class to spend the day with you on campus, but you insisted you could handle things until she got out of class at 1 pm. You knew you weren't anything special, it was Gaster that was the enigma, people came to this college for him, a good grade in any of his courses almost guaranteed a job in whatever field you were going for. You were just a random 23-year-old human student.

However, when you become famous, maybe one day you'll be the one with all eyes on you, so you decided to treat this as mini practice. The buzz on campus wouldn't last forever, people would just move on to the next hot topic as they always do, although with Gaster being a part of the royal family you figured you would always be in the public eye to some degree. Funny, the college almost gave you more privacy in that regard, as news media couldn't be constantly flooding campus, people really did care way too much about royal family relationships. 

Now that you thought about it, none of the royal family has actually had a relationship set in stone. You’ve heard of speculations of romantic flings that Toriel was rumored to have, same with Frisk and Asriel when they were old enough, but they were just rumors. You never heard of Gaster _ever_ being of interest with that subject, in fact, you assumed most people saw him as too cold and analytical to be bothered with that kind of thing. From what he's told you in confidence, that isn't too far off from the truth as Gaster seemed to be focused on other things before he met you. Most of the news articles regarding his personal life were about what his monster type could be, as the king and queen never revealed it, and you understand why. If people knew that incubi weren't extinct as the monster race had previously said over the years, there would be a problem. 

When monsters got to the surface there were many questions, mainly ‘what monsters do and don't actually exist’? Among the list of problematic monsters, incubus and succubus were a concern, before meeting Gaster your knowledge of them was the same as it was before monsters surfaced. They were seen as evil, they could control your body and drain your energy, control your mind and emotions, and had claws, wings, horns, fangs, and pale skin. It took quite a few years to convince people King Asgore wasn't the devil-goat that _certain religions_ had misunderstood the pagan god for the devil. There were still hateful people in the world, and you were smart enough to understand that if Gaster did look like what humans thought incubus were supposed to look like, he would have a much harder time convincing people he wasn’t evil. 

Of course, you knew he wasn't that way, he wasn't evil, he did not force your emotions on you or exhausted you by stealing your life force, although he _could_ control your body, however. As far as the physical traits, you only knew he had the claws and fangs and pale skin, the first of which he could apparently hide. Although, you also knew that according to the lore and from what little you heard in passing growing up from monsters who knew about them, they did have wings and horns too. Many other monsters have mentioned that incubus and succubus were violent and possessive, but that never sat right with you; you didn't like talking bad about an entire race who were no longer around to defend otherwise. Just like Sans, it seemed even other monsters hated incubus and saw them as manipulative, dishonest monsters who were able to appear as more humanoid to seem less threatening. You never saw any indication of any wings or horns, and you felt too silly to ask Gaster about it of course if he _somehow_ had those and wanted to tell you he would. However, you didn't have to ask Gaster to realize you couldn't go around telling others he was an incubus, and even though you really wanted to tell Adelya at least, the risk was far too great to chance it. 

You did not want to put him through the kind of stress the government would put him under if they did realize his monster type, and Adelya was the kind of friend who trusted you enough to know if you won't tell her something that there is a good reason for it. You really did wonder if he could control the body of anyone or just you, so you filed the question away in your mind to ask him later. He hasn't made you do anything you weren't happy to do in the end, so for now, you trust things will be just fine. That said, today in class, or around campus if anyone asks you personal invading questions, you weren't afraid of telling them politely to fuck off either. 

Before you and Gaster left for class, you asked him what you should do if anyone was brave enough to say or do anything rude, his response filled you with determination. 

“You will not have to worry about that dear, I plan to address things professionally and if anyone dares to not respect you and me, _I’ll personally see to it that they are escorted out.”_ Gaster says with an unsettling pleasant smile, which only made you smirk happy to hear him confirm what you already know, _he wouldn't tolerate anyone’s bullshit today._

You were confident he wouldn't hurt anyone or anything extreme like that of course, but stars forbid someone does act up today, you have a good feeling the rest of their career at this college would be _rough_.

So, after Gaster put on his pristine white lab coat, his briefcase in hand, and with you all ready to go, he grabbed you by the waist pulling you close against him. 

“Ready, darling?” Gaster asks you sweetly, and even though his expression was soft and calm as he looked into your eyes, you could both feel the excitement spin in your souls. 

_“Always.”_ You say, batting your eyelashes and smiling flirtatiously, leaning into his hold, your surroundings faded to black. 

* * *

Gaster couldn't keep his hands off of you this morning, but getting to have you in the shower seemed to quell his craving, _for now._ He knew just how much you admired him as he taught in the classroom, and he was determined to make sure you saw how he was only weak around you. He would be strong, calm, and collected in class today, he would command the attention of the room and in the process cause you to fluster endlessly as you so enticingly would. Then when he got you back home alone with him he would smudge that pretty black lipstick of yours that reminded him so much of a similarly colored substance he wanted to gloss your lips with. No other soul had ever been as enticing to him, he didn't know he was just waiting for someone [like you](https://youtu.be/ws-W0JGcBss) all along to be properly tempted. Even when he did have to deal with physical cravings long ago, he didn't have any preference, but it seemed everything you did and said fulfilled all the specific desires he did not know he had.

He had a hard time composing himself when it was just you and him, too tempted to spend his time wisely with you, but he knew how important it was for him to be professional and dignified today. Yes, today was the first day you and he were going public with your bond, and it would be foolish to assume things would simply go without a hitch. He refused to let anyone upset you, stars help anyone that dared to even _look_ at you wrong, he would personally see to their own guaranteed unique hell here at the college. 

* * *

Your surroundings melted back around you into that of the classroom, it was only about 7:40 am and the doors of the classroom were still locked, Gaster gave you a soft kiss on the forehead before releasing you from his embrace.

_“Sit for me, won't you?”_ Gaster says teasingly, in obvious reference to your earlier activities, you could only squeak and nod quickly, not wanting to ruin this fun flirtatious mood he was in with more of your sass. 

Gaster softly chuckled and watched you scamper off to your seat at the far end of the room in the third row, taking your bag off from around your shoulder, you sat down. You got out your notebook and folder for the class along with a pen, and Gaster who was opening his briefcase at his desk on the ground floor made a comment. 

“I find it fitting that you prefer to write in pen.” He says, and you're too curious to not take the bait. 

“And why _pray tell_ , is that D-..?” You say, almost calling him ‘doctor’ before you hit the brakes on that quickly, you weren't trying to tease him, it just felt natural.

Gaster gives you a warning glance, but your apologetic face and your slight shrink down in your seat were enough for him to realize you did not mean to tease him. Thankfully he lets you go with that warning and answers your question. 

“It takes a decent amount of _determination, and courage_ to believe you'll never have the need to erase any mistakes in your notes.” Gaster says and you click your tongue amusedly.

“Don't be _too_ impressed now, I make mistakes and if I'm upset enough about one, I just scribble it out, and usually the paper rips.” You say with a smirk, unable to hold back a few giggles and Gaster just smirks and shakes his head. 

“Yes, that does not surprise me either.” He says light-heartedly, looking up at the clock on the wall, it was 7:50 am time seemed to fly when you were just with him, ten minutes went by in a blink.

The peace you had felt this whole time though, started to get interrupted by the anxiety that swirled in your soul as you looked up at the clock with him.

7:50 am was when Gaster unlocked the classroom door, and so he had a summoned hand unlock the door, and when the sound of the click rang out in the otherwise quiet of the classroom you heard him echo to you.

_(“Breathe, my flame. You will be okay, I’m here.”)_ Gaster echoes to you, and the warmth of his sweet words as well as a dose of his much-needed Xanax-feeling magic, flowed through you, causing the tension in your shoulders to relax.

You chose to stay quiet, and just as you heard the click of the door opening to the first few over-achievers as they entered the class, you opted for looking down at your notebook, pretending to be writing something down. Out of your peripheral vision you saw around ten people walk into the room, three of which seemed to stumble in their steps as they went to their seats. You stole a glance at Gaster who had been shuffling through his papers at his desk still, reading over the lecture for today's class, he kept his eyes on his papers and acted as if nothing had changed. You followed his lead and mirrored his nonchalant demeanor as you started to doodle in your notebook. Gaster was a strict professor, but he did, however, allow phones and mild chatting before the start of the lecture, and you could feel he wished he didn't as more and more students flooded into the classroom.

Some monsters were rubber-necking, and it caused them to bump into other people, or trip on the risers, but that wasn't as bad as the talking. It started with the monsters asking each other whispered questions along the lines of _‘are you seeing what I'm seeing right now?’_ Then a few humans started whispering asking what all the monsters seemed to be fixated on, and once one monster spilled on the news, no matter how quiet they were the info quickly spread to the rest of the room. You had no idea how you were suddenly able to focus on what one or a few people were saying in the collection of murmurs from everyone in the room, but you had an idea it may be related to the same reason you saw better in the dark now. 

You were fine with most of the responses which were _‘oh my god who would have thought?’_ or even _‘eh who cares maybe he will be nicer now’_ but there were ones you couldn't handle so well. Namely the ones similar to _‘A member of the royal family with a_ **_human?_ ** _’_ or _‘she dating the doctor? Wow, some people will do_ ** _anything_ **_for good grades yikes’._ You held yourself together, determined to not let these fleeting comments bother you, and you echoed to Gaster for the better of you both. 

_(“Some people will say_ **_anything_ ** _to cover up that they are jealous.”)_ You echo to Gaster with teasing sarcasm aimed at the jerk who had just said something similar. 

He looks up at you, and you look at him as you share a quick moment as you give each other a small smirk, before returning your attention to your papers. 

_(“Correct, dear.”)_ Gaster echos back to you, and you have to cover your mouth not to giggle, which apparently others notice. 

It was 7:59 am and people started to quiet down and stop their comments, the last one you heard was…

_“Must be nice to be able to ‘sleep' your way to the top.”_

That was a bad choice on her part, to say the least, as even though it was said softly, it was poorly timed with the hush of the room allowing everyone to hear it. The offending comment was made by a light-haired human girl who had said it to the plant monster next to her, who was lucky to be interrupted by a loud bang before she could become of any blame. While you focused on ripping your paper by scribbling lightly back and forth in the same spot, you felt a fire burn through your veins, _Gaster heard that._ The loud bang had been the shutting of his briefcase, and you stayed silent and focused on keeping your breathing steady with all the second-hand anger flowing through your body from Gaster.

_“How unfortunate for you.”_ Gaster says darkly, looking up from his briefcase, to the human who had made the last comment, the classroom fell deadly silent now and your pen stopped its movements.

You finally move to look at Gaster, as if you were only paying attention now since he was talking, and not for his obvious intent to reply to the insult. When you did, you noticed how terrified everyone was, did they not think Gaster would be mad? The rude human girl who was sitting to the opposite side of the room, closest to the door and in the fourth row, shrank down in her seat. Gaster quickly summoned hands to pick up her notes and papers from her desk, and steal them away to hover in the air down at the bottom floor.

She jolted at her stuff being taken but then froze in her seat as Gaster walked over from his desk, he approached the summoned hands holding her things at the ground level near the door. His hands were behind his back, and even if you couldn't feel the rage in his soul that swirled in yours, you could tell he was pissed off from the way his summoned hands were holding her things, almost crushing them. When Gaster got close to the door, he smoothly pivoted to turn toward the student, his movements so poised he seemed similar to a drill sergeant. 

“To be _so small-minded_ , It must be _painful_ trying to keep up in my class. I believe my course is out of your range of capabilities sadly, so I’ll do you a favor and give you the _opportunity_ to leave.” Gaster says with incredible restraint, you would have just started a screaming match with the bitch, but then she was stupid enough to try and talk-back.

“Dr. Gaster, I’m sorry I-” she started, but of course was cut off.

“I’m _sure you are_ , as am I...I’ve seemingly _wasted my breath_ , I should have worded things more directly..” Gaster starts, the door of the classroom suddenly swings open, and is held open by another summoned hand, **_“...Leave.”_ ** He commands, and your face flushes red in both amusement and second-hand embarrassment.

The dumb bitch finally got the hint on how bad she fucked up, not wishing to handle another minute longer of everyone in the class staring at her, she got up from her seat and walked down to grab her stuff. You couldn't imagine how terrifying it would have to be to walk even _slightly_ close to Gaster when he was like that, since he’s never directed malicious anger like that at you obviously. Of course, this wasn't beastly or unrefined anger either, this was professional, stoic, justified, **_and livid._ ** The deservedly embarrassed student tries to grab her stuff, but it moves to just outside the doorway, and when she follows it out of the room to grab it, the door closes quickly behind her. Then, you and the whole class could hear the sound of papers dropping and spilling onto the floor, and down the three flights of stairs. You had to stop yourself from almost laughing out loud again.

Gaster was outwardly unfazed, although you could still feel the anger bubbling from him in your soul, so you figured you would tell him what was on your mind that would most likely work to calm him down.

_(“I love you.”)_ You echoed to him simply, you were clearly flustered because how could you not be? Seeing Gaster defend you like that was _fucking hot as hell._

_(“I love you endlessly as well, my dear. If there is another issue, you are to tell me.”)_ He echoes his reply as he walks back to his desk to retrieve the paper that had the lesson outline for today on it, you could feel the calm return to him as the anger slowly started to dissipate. 

The class was silent, and mostly wide-eyed, you could tell most of them believed the girl deserved that and the remaining few were glad they were not caught when they had said similar yet not-as-bad things.

_(“Okay, thank you.”)_ You echoed, even though you knew you wouldn't interrupt him teaching later today, if anyone had a problem as you told yourself before, you weren't afraid to just tell them to fuck off. 

Gaster walked back to the middle of the room, hands folded behind his back, his right hand still holding the paper with today's subject, he addressed the class eloquently. 

“Now it's _clear_ you have all learned a valuable new piece of information this morning. I hope that _demonstration_ on what not to do or say if you wish to stay in this class, was _just as clear_.” He says, pausing to give the class an observing glance.

“I _respectfully_ remind you all that if any of you have a _problem_ with the way I teach,” Gaster uses his left hand to gesture to the door, “you are more than welcome to _leave now.”_

No one dared to move, if anyone did have such a big problem that they would throw away such a valuable seat in this class, they just wouldn't show up tomorrow. They were all too cowardly to stand up and leave now, and as you watch Gaster command the attention of the room, he gave his final thought on the matter. 

“Good, I trust I won’t have to have this conversation again.” He says casually, before immediately transitioning into the topic for the lecture today, discussing Green and Yellow souls and their behaviors. 

A few minutes into when Gaster had started the lecture, you could feel the tension in the room melt significantly, as everyone was just glad to not see Gaster in such an imposing state anymore. 

However, you couldn't help but continue to daydream a bit as you listened. You still took notes and paid as much attention as possible of course, it was important to you that you proved the jerks in the class wrong and worked just as hard as everyone else. Every now and then though, your mind would drift to how elegant and dominant he looked as he was teaching, it was impossible for you to go the whole class without admiring him and his control, not after the way it started. Who could blame you for having such a [ dirty mind](https://youtu.be/m5OsBC0aX8g) when it was Gaster who occupied your thoughts?

* * *

When 9:30 am hit, Gaster spoke and dismissed the class and as everyone filled out of the room, they were quieter than usual, you figured mostly because they were avoiding doing anything to upset Gaster. This was it, this was the real challenge, the cats out of the bag and from here on out the news would only further spread to everyone else. You stayed in your seat and the second the last person left and the door closed, you heard the click of the lock engage, and you and Gaster simultaneously sighed. 

Leaving your stuff behind at your desk, you got up and walked down quickly to Gaster who turned around from his position at the board, choosing to manually erase it as a way to avoid having any student try to talk to him after class. You did your best not to trip, yet your feet felt like they were just barely able to help you to walk into Gasters embrace. You were really the one that had hugged him, but he held you just as close when you did, you didn't need to say much, you both had the same odd wavelength through your souls.

_‘Thank stars that's over’,_ Was what the feeling that the two of you shared at this moment, seemed to collectively say. The two of you stayed quiet for just a moment longer, until both of your breathing seemed to relax, your arms finally relaxed around him and you attempted to free him from your hold. Gaster held you just a bit tighter for a second, before reluctantly letting you go too. When you stepped back, you looked into his eyes with a knowing and exhausted expression as he brought his right hand up to caress the side of your face. Sighing and bringing up your left hand to hold the one he held at your face, you nuzzled into it before responding with a soft smile. 

_“Ugh god,_ that was just _something else,_ for sure.” You say, your tone starting tired, but then you remembered the sound of that girl's papers falling down the stairs and you couldn't stop yourself from cracking a more amused smile. 

“Yes, but we _do_ seem to be on a winning streak, however, dear.” Gaster says returning your mischievous grin with one of his own, he brings his hand down as you do the same. 

“It was _so_ hard not to laugh Gaster seriously, it was awesome.” You giggle while gripping the edges of the skirt of your dress and rocking back on your heels slightly.

Gaster leans back against the whiteboard crossing his arms, his eyes narrow a bit as he hums in accepting amusement, running his tongue over his left fang he responds.

“Yes it was clear you were having a difficult time _completely paying attention_ today, though for the most part you were well behaved.” He says, and you click your tongue, crossing your arms you lean your weight on one leg, your hip dipping to the right in propper sass. 

“Invading my thoughts Gaster? That really doesn't sound like _you_ were well behaved then.” You say raising an eyebrow at him playfully, Gaster rolls his eyes, pushing himself back from the whiteboard to stand up straight again.

“I was simply trying to make sure the _bubbling emotions_ I felt in your soul were _positive_ ones, Ember.” Gaster says feigning innocence, stepping to your left to put his papers back into his briefcase, _conveniently for you,_ he had cleaned off the surface of the desk on the side closest to you.

“Uh-huh,” You say, agreeing sarcastically before you sashay up to the side of his desk, you smoothly hop up so you can sit on the surface of the edge of his desk, your hands in your lap and your legs playfully dangling off the edge.

“Whatever you say,” You tease looking at him with a glimmer of sass in your expression, Gaster smirks and closes his briefcase just as he had gathered and put away all his papers.

“Do I get a _reward_ for behaving before you go leave to command the attention of another room?” You say sweetly, batting your eyes and leaning forward a bit, Gaster seemed to be contemplating just how much time he had to spare.

It was clear he didn't want to leave, and with a single nod to your comment, Gaster sets his briefcase to the side, then he pulls his desk chair out and takes a seat. His chair is angled out as he looks at you, he gives his leg a few light taps, and you feel a burning flush race to your ears. He had basically just agreed to reward you, and told you to take a seat on his lap and it was all so casual and smooth all you could do was blink and first.

_“O-Oh, okay...”_ you squeak and hop down from the desk, blushing and having a hard time keeping eye contact, you shuffle up to him, your hands folded hesitantly in front of you. 

You swear the only person who could chase your bravery out the window this quick was Gaster, despite that you were still walking close to him and you knew you could thank your bravery for that. Gaster just chuckled at your slight apprehension, and when you got in grabbing distance, he quickly pulled you in and had you sit sideways on his lap. You squeaked at the sudden movement, and as you looked up at Gaster who seemed to tower over you, you were reminded just how small you were compared to him in this position. 

“Why are you so surprised, dear? _You were the one who wanted a reward…”_ Gaster says, leaning in to touch his forward to yours you could hear a faint purr as he moved to nuzzle the side of your face with his. 

You gave a shaky whimper, both excited and relieved to have him close to you like this, you felt you could handle the stress of the day after how he handled things earlier, and his affections at this moment only further reminded you of that. 

_“Shh, It's alright, my flame.”_ Gaster says softly comforting you as he kisses your neck, just above the collar of your dress, you close your eyes and melt into his touch, his left hand softly stroking your thighs as he holds you. 

“As you so perfectly worded last night, there is no opinion that matters to me aside from yours, Ember.” Gaster says to you, his deep silken tone washes over your body, along with a dose of his magic as it soothes you, he brushes your hair away from your neck. 

“I will remedy what we discussed this morning, you don't need to hide my passion from others dear... _be unapologetically mine.”_ He whispers to you, his tongue trailing down from your jaw just under your ear, down to the collar of your dress and you shudder.

_“Hold still for me, my dear.”_ You hear him say, and you feel his fangs brush against your skin, your mind flashes to images of last night, when he drew blood from lower on your neck. 

In a few moments just before he did, you realized Gaster was planning on biting you again, you whined as you tried to object, _he could just give you a hickey like lovers normally do._ It was too late for objections however, his left fang sunk into your skin and you squeaked and squirmed slightly at the sharp and oddly pleasingly indulgent sensation. Gaster was careful to clean up the small amount of blood seeping from the small puncture wound he created at your neck, and the lower pleased moan that you could feel hum against your neck as he did, almost made up for it. His sweet moans of approval sent a shiver up your spine and as he licked over his ‘love bite’ the initial pain seemed to numb and dissipate. He pulls back and licks his lips as he looks at your panting flustered form sitting in his lap, you whimpered before responding to him, unable to pull your eyes away from being lost in his. 

“Gaster...” You say breathless, looking up at him once you have collected yourself, you sit up a bit better in his lap, _“...you sure you aren't a vampire?”_ regardless of how flustered you were in the moment your sass still persisted and you smirk up at his thoroughly amused smile. 

_“I’m an incubus_ , dear.” Gaster says softly, leaning back to sit up in his desk chair again he looks up at the clock on the wall and seemingly deflates.

You follow his gaze and look over at the clock and sigh, no matter his convenient teleportation ability to get to class quickly, he still would need to leave to get ready now. You look back up at Gaster, bringing your right hand up to rest at the back of his neck, you pull yourself up to place a quick kiss on his lips, and he leans in a bit so you can do so easier.

“Right, well...I guess you have to get going...good luck out there, Gaster.” You say in light-hearted severity, moving slowly to gently hop off his lap, he puts his hands around your waist and helps you as you do.

You brush off your skirt and look up at him, he grabs his briefcase in his left hand, and brings his right hand to your face again, leaning his head down slightly to place a kiss on your forehead. He stands back up, his hand resting just under your chin.

“Same to you, Ember. Let me know if there are any other _problems._ ” He says, and you could feel anxiety bubble in him, you smile sympathetically up at him.

“If someones brave enough to talk smack around me, then they better be prepared to catch these hands too.” You say with a few giggles raising a fist for dramatic effect, a determined look in your eyes.

Gaster gently retreats his hand as he raises an eyebrow at you, he seemed confused at your words for a moment, before he used context clues to realize ‘they better be prepared to catch these hands’ was slang for ‘they should be prepared for me to punch them’ and nodded in agreement with you. 

“Good to know.” Gaster says, a small smirk on his face, the anxiety in his soul seemed to quell with your jovial tone and endless spit-fire attitude, and you were happy you were able to make him feel better with your comment. 

“See you at five then?” You ask him, your tone more soft and compassionate, he nods to you again.

“Yes dear, see you then.” Gaster says, before he dissolved from reality and you were left alone in the classroom.

  
Well, you weren't meeting Adelya and Haru for another 3 hours, so you might as well take this time to do some research about a few questions you had, that you rather not force Gaster to answer personally. To the library then, you had a feeling you could make good use of the collection of ancient monster history books and scans of the scrolls that the _‘first college to integrate monsters’_ had here at MEU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The alternative title ‘lions 2 electric boogaloo’ 
> 
> That's what you get bitch!
> 
> Sometimes, I wish I could defend my fiancee in front of a crowd like this ;w; 
> 
> Also, what a way to start the day!


	17. Danger Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You looked at the picture on your phone that you had taken of his bite mark on your shoulder, and you decided to go through with the idea you had a few days ago. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, remember a while back a few chapters, back when I said it was the start of Gaster's spiraling? Well, we in it now guys, everyone grab a bandaid we got work to do. 😎
> 
> Also here is the song for this chapter if you would like to listen beforehand <3 It is from one of my favorite albums from my childhood, ( https://youtu.be/bDubctiHXDw )

“Do I get a _reward_ for behaving before you go leave to command the attention of another room?” You said to him enticingly, you leaned forward towards him flirtatiously and Gaster wondered if he could somehow slow time to bend you over the desk, but he knew he couldn't.

The class had been stressful, he truly wanted to snap that girl's neck, and holding himself back took a lot of control, and it exhausted him. He couldn't take you as he wanted, there was regrettably not enough time, but he did have a few moments to hold you close, so he did what he thought would fluster you the most. With a single nod to your comment, Gaster sets his briefcase to the side, and takes a seat in his desk chair. He looks at you hungry and gives his leg a few light taps, and he savored your delicious expression, he would keep that image of your face so adorably flustered, with him for the rest of his classes he had to teach today. 

_“O-Oh, okay...”_ you squeaked and hopped down from the desk for him.

You could barely keep eye contact as you stumbled towards him innocently, and Gaster almost felt starved just looking at your figure. He pulled you close and into his lap, your sweet natural aroma of your skin mixed with the scent of your shampoo seemed to melt his nerves. 

“Why are you so surprised dear? _You were the one who wanted a reward…”_ Gaster says to you nuzzling the side of your face with his, he could feel your blood pulse through your skin.

You gave a shaky whimper, and seemed to relax in his arms, the reminder you were like this for only him, and you would only ever belong to him soothed his reservations.

_“Shh, It's alright, my flame.”_ Gaster says to you, unable to resist touching his lips to your warm soft neck, his left hand roamed your body while he internally shuttered at a thought that crossed his mind.

Just beneath his lips at your neck, under the surface of your soft skin; your lifeforce pulsed and rushed through your veins. You were his, every last drop of you and he wouldn't let anyone who spoke of you so despicably, get off with just a warning. 

“As you so perfectly worded last night, there is no opinion that matters to me aside from yours, Ember.” Gaster says as he sends a dose of his magic to soothe you, he brushes your hair away from your neck. 

Yes, he would make sure that girl's life here was hell, she would be yet another warning example of how much ‘bad luck’ one experiences after getting on his bad side. He was so exhausted from holding back his rage earlier, and the rush that tasting just a little of your blood gave him, _sounded like a good way to get through the rest of the day._

“I will remedy what we discussed this morning, you don't need to hide my passion from others dear... _be unapologetically mine.”_ He whispers to you, his tongue trailing down from your jaw just under your ear, down to the collar of your dress and you shuddered under his touch.

Truly he hated that you kept trying to hide his marks, and he knew of a way to calm himself for the rest of the day, and remind you that you needn't worry about hiding or changing yourself for him. He could tell you held back your appearance to be more professional today, and he loved you in anything you wore, but he rather you feel confident in knowing he did not care if others knew he was intimate with you. In fact, he much rather preferred others to know you were his, _in every way._

_“Hold still for me, my dear.”_ He says to you, he sent you images of last night, when he drew blood from lower on your neck, he had no idea why this slightly violent and intimate moment seemed to give him so much energy. 

He felt this rush of energy after his first night with you too, when he tasted your blood, and each time after that. When he pulled back and licked your wound it easily stopped bleeding, and while he only made a clean, small puncture, it was rather odd how quickly your blood seemed to clot at the wounds he gave you. This was all too odd to be a coincidence, and Gaster started to wonder what exactly was happening here. Were you healing yourself somehow? Was he healing you? If he was using healing magic he would know, as he’d have to consciously be doing so, and he knew he was not, not to mention he wasn't far enough along in his practices to have cultivated nearly enough healing magic again yet. So when you had jokingly asked if he was a vampire, his mind did wonder if his gaining energy at the taste of your blood was related to your quick healing. 

_“I’m an incubus_ , dear.” Gaster says, leaning back to sit up in his desk chair again he looks up at the clock on the wall, he would only have ten minutes to prepare for his next class, he would have to cut things short here.

He couldn't reply to your question with a yes or a no, because he knew the real root of your question was _‘do you crave/need my blood?’_ and Gaster realized he did not know the answer to that.

* * *

The walk over to the library was thankfully peaceful, it was 10 am and most people were either already at their next class, still sleeping, or in this case; trying not to fall asleep in the library and doing assignments before class. It had not been long enough yet for the news to spread, it would take a while for people to hear that Gaster had bonded with a human, and even longer for people to find out that human was you. For now, you were just a human who was bonded to a monster, and only monsters could tell that for now, monster/human relationships were about as rare as a same-sex couple at prom in high school. 

They existed sure, but there weren't as many in comparison, and either people couldn’t care less, or cared way too much, but what Gaster said earlier was right, neither of you cared about the possible attention you would get regardless. However, most monsters were nice and this was a library, so unless a monster, or a human who was told by a monster, found it necessary to make a scene, no one would care. Only one monster even bothered to look at you as you walked back to the monster archives section, and you couldn't even be sure they were looking at your bond, although you still couldn't help but be a bit self-conscious.

The monster history books were held in the back of the library, and you were required to wear gloves to gently look through some of the more fragile, important books. Thankfully there was no one else around in the back of the archives, but you almost wanted to tell someone the sign that read _‘Librarby Section: Monster Books’_ had misspelled ‘library’. Also, you found it quite a direct name for the section, maybe even too crass, wouldn't something more elegant like _‘Historical monster literature’_ be more dignified? You were not sure who named this section of the library but that was not important right now, right now you were looking in the ‘i’ section. 

You were looking for books on Incubus, but you couldn't find anything, then you looked in a large book titled _‘Known monster species’_ . It was a more modern book that seemed to be made by monsters for humans when they first came to the surface, there were several copies and it looked mass-produced. You searched through the table of contents, but you found nothing there either, it was as if no one wanted to bother mentioning a species that was supposed to be already extinct. That thought gave you a new idea, however, and you went to the ‘e’ section, finding a book that was titled _‘Extinct Monster Species’_. While you could find lots of information online, it would be mixed with plenty of false claims, and nothing is more accurate than books from the underground, written by monsters themselves. 

This book had to have the closest to accurate information you were going to find here, because _this book was very, very old._ It was held in the temperature and moisture controlled case, and you had to leave your Card-Key fob locked in the slot outside of the case. A sort of security measure to remind you to put the book back properly in the case, with gloved hands you took the book over to the velvet-lined table that was supposed to be used for examining these books. 

_“This is ridiculous, I feel like I’m Nicholas cage examining the declaration of independence.”_ You say quietly out loud to yourself in the empty ‘Librarby’ section.

This book did not have a table of contents, it wasn't even in alphabetical order but it was in chronological order, it read like an undertaker's book. Each time a species of monster ceased to exist, it was written down in the book, the farther back in the book you got the more ‘current’ it seemed to become. Halfway through, there was a section listing many monster species that went extinct all at the same time, _the war where humans sealed monsters underground._ Your hands started to shake and you had to gently remove your hands from the book, you suddenly felt more aware of the dust on the book, and you almost vomited. 

You backed up from the table and started to take a deep breath, but being alone meant you had to cope as you usually did, so you started to pace around in a circle, in the empty section of the library. You knew Gaster was going to ask you what was wrong soon, as you felt yourself get more upset over how many monster species got erased in the war, something you already knew but couldn't handle still. Before Gaster could echo to you, you did so preemptively. 

_(“Hey um I’m in the library reading a….sad book….so don't worry about the anxiety.”)_ You said, and you feel the rush of his magic soothe you.

You knew it was possible for him to do this with the bond and all, but the feeling of him keeping you calm even from somewhere else on campus gave you a further sense of security. 

_(“Don't upset yourself too much dear, sometimes dust is just dust.”)_ You hear him echo back to you, and you nod in agreement with his comment, consoling yourself more, until you froze.

(“Wait-... hold up how did?”) You echo to him, he clearly knew you were reading an old monster book that could possibly have a dead monster covering it.

_(“It seems my will to see the book you were reading, along with our bond and my powers allowed me to see the images you’ve seen.”)_ Gaster says.

Gaster can see what you're imagining or thinking when he's around you, he can put images and memories into your mind, and he can echo to you from far away. Who's to say he can't see what you're thinking, or experiencing from this far too?

_(“Wow the list just keeps getting longer huh?”)_ You respond, referring to the list of his and your abilities.

_(“My world has grown substantially through your influence, Ember. It does not surprise me our combined efforts have increased the possibilities further, it is an honor to see through your eyes, my flame.”)_ Gaster echoes, and you’re comforted by the fluttering of butterflies at his sweet words.

_(“You're smart enough to know what I’m looking for, I just didn't want to bother you with the details...I’m sure you have to focus and I’d rather we review….all this in person later.”)_ You say to him, silently asking him not to look through your eyes again.

_(“I understand your wish not to bother me, however, I find it necessary to say you of course could have asked. Although I will say whatever you do find, should be completely accurate information in that book, I’ll leave you to it then.”)_ Gaster echoes, and you could hear the anxiety in his reply.

You were right not to ask him, it obviously makes him nervous to talk about his species, probably because even other monsters saw them as awful. No matter what the book says, you weren't worried and _you found it necessary_ to tell him that.

_(“Not even the opinions in this book will matter to me, Gaster.”)_ You echo to him gently, and your soul felt a warm comfort that settled in his.

_(“Right, of course, dear.”)_ Gaster responds, he seemed calmer with your response and that made you happy.

Fully calmed down, and happy you had a moment to speak with Gaster, you turned your attention back to the book. Flipping through the morbid war section, you finally found what you were looking for, an entry for Incubus. Apparently, they were the first to go extinct, then their female counterpart, Succubus followed not long after that. The book confirmed their physical appearances which you were already familiar with, (claws, fangs, horns, wings, pale skin) there was nothing here you did not already know, but you never bothered to ask if Gaster had any of these things. 

The book confirmed your suspicion that he could hide those things if he wanted to, and again you told yourself if he wanted to tell you about it he would, it was clear he preferred not to appear this way. You could understand the reasoning behind that, so you did not find it necessary to ask, but you did love him regardless of how he chose to appear. For the abilities section, you already knew everything written down, _besides the section about blood._ Apparently the ...fluids of succubus or incubus could heal minor wounds, the book lists it as a _‘method of keeping their victim prepared for more abuse’_ and that made you cringe.

You didn't know who wrote this, but you wish you could go back in time and punch them in the face. The tone this book had when referring to incubus and succubus was awful, and irritation started to bubble in you. It continued to explain that incubus and succubus needed to taste the blood of their ‘victim’ to physically control them, _well that answers that question_ , so the body control _was_ situational. Further down the page, it said they preferred _‘those that bleed hot’,_ which you supposed could be referring to how some monsters did not bleed and some were genetically cold-blooded. However, it sounded like the bad title to an erotica book, and you tried to hold on to that sliver of humor as you moved forward with reading. It explained they had this preference, as it perpetuated an _‘endless cycle of greedy indulgence’_ or so it said _,_ again you cringed, but you were concerned still as you read through the summary of this apparent ‘endless cycle’.

**It read:**

_‘If the incubus wished to start this cycle, they could use their abilities to seduce the victim, becoming intimate and using these abilities used reserves of their magic energy just as it normally does for any monster. Specifically, only an incubus/succubus monster could gain more magic energy from the life force of their victim, blood being the strongest form of this. Given more energy from this the incubus/succubus could then use their magic to heal the wound that gave them the blood, making the victim more willing. Then the higher magic reserve would’ve also allowed the incubus/succubus to continue the powers used for further intimacy. The victim could’ve been caught in this endless cycle, as they wouldn’t feel any extended or lasting pain from the healing fluids of the incubus/succubus. So as such the victims were constantly controlled by the incubus/succubus that is energized by their blood. These exclusive magic abilities were deadly as they were only ever in the hands of this greedy species, these abilities were of course abused as often they would take too much blood from their victim at once, they are surely better left doomed.’_

“Fuck whoever wrote this book!” You said in hushed anger, you couldn't help but be livid, you even had to resist the urge to slam the book closed and you knew Gaster had to feel your anger, it was too intense. 

_(“Prejudice views exist everywhere in all times huh?”)_ You say, trying to give him a short explanation for your emotional spike, too angry to even fully realize what you had read.

_(“Correct.”)_ Gaster echoes back, but his tone was unusually soft.

When you collected yourself you took a deep breath and gently closed the book, putting it back in the case and retrieving your Card-Key fob, glad you were in an empty part of the library. You weren't too loud, but you were very obviously visually upset until you calmed yourself down, you sat down at one of the vacant tables to think. You ran your fingers frustratedly through your hair as you thought about things, Gaster told you he wasn't a vampire but if this all was true then his answer to your joke question earlier was comical. At this point you realized you should really be going with your gut feelings, you guessed he was an incubus and now... he's not what humans classify as a vampire but….your brain was starting to hurt. 

The book said this was only a problem if he got carried away right? Well, you weren't going to flip out over something he hasn't done, or you would be a hypocrite. Sure he's tasted your blood, but it's not like he needs it and if you told him to stop he would, he wasn't controlling your body when you didn't want him to. If you told Adelya this she would think you're making excuses for Gaster, it’s best to just stick with _‘were kinky’_ for now. You were conscious during sex, you had a say and you could tell him to stop if you wanted, there was just no good reason to. 

Sure you could ask him to stop next time things got to that to confirm, but you trusted him and there is no way you would put yourself in a weird situation like that. _‘Hey stop this amazing sexy moment cause I wanna know if you have self-control’_? Yeah no thanks, that would be incredibly insulting to him, especially after the great show of restraint Gaster had just shown earlier today by not bitching out that girl in class. So, with a deep breath, you decided this new information changed nothing, so what if he wanted to nibble you every now and then? It's not like it really even hurt, it actually felt good to you, so you weren't concerned you weren't in any real [danger.](https://youtu.be/bDubctiHXDw)

You look at your phone to see it was time to head over to the cafe so you could meet up with Adelya and Haru, which made you happy seeing as you really needed to talk to your friends to de-stress. 

* * *

Getting to the Cafe was a little…. _different_ than getting to the library, while you only got stares as you left the library, you were getting mumbles on your way to and into the cafe. It had only been around 4 hours, but it was 1 pm and people were awake and checking their phones to read texts from their friends who had heard. The conversations depended on if it was a human or a monster having the discussion but you swear it wasn't even this bad in high school, this is what you get for having a member of the royal family as a soul mate. 

Regardless the conversations you heard were all around the same…. 

_‘Did you hear? Dr.Gaster is bonded! What, you mean like, monster married? Yeah! To who? Dunno some girl with long black hair on campus. Wait so like a monster girl? No, a human! Oh wow, do you think it's just a publicity stunt? Probably I can't see Dr. Gaster wanting to be with anyone, let alone a human! Honestly, he wouldn't disgrace the royal family like that, right? I heard he kicked a girl out of his class for badmouthing their bond though! Well, I guess he would have to keep up appearances...’_

You ignored all of it as you walked to the cafe, you knew some older monsters still had that elitist outlook, not all of them saw Frisk as their savior regardless of them being the one who broke the barrier. Monsters were nice, but mostly because none of them would outwardly express their disapproval, one human saving them wasn't enough to make up for the thousands that imprisoned them. You almost understood that viewpoint, but you knew hate only breeds more hate and like anyone reasonable, you just wanted the fighting and hate to stop, but prejudiced views existed everywhere, at all times. 

You didn't like the thought that you may be ruining his reputation, you brought up your hand to the small pinprick scab at your neck. _He wanted people to know you were his,_ you reminded yourself, suddenly wishing you were wearing something that could show off your whole shoulder. 

You looked at the picture on your phone that you had taken of his bite mark on your shoulder, and you decided to go through with the idea you had a few days ago. 

You walk up the steps to the cafe, and just as you get to the top you see Haru and Adelya across the room sitting down in your usual spot on the couch. Adelya was holding two coffee cups, she had already ordered you your drink, what a saint. You walk across the room to the couch, so glad to be in the presence of friends again, just as you do you see Haru notice you and her ears dropped back in shock. 

“Ohmygod!” Haru says, a bit louder than appropriate for the cafe, and you flinch before she lowers her volume to continue.

“It’s _**you**!?” _ She says with hushed intensity, and Adelya handed you your coffee.

_“I think what she means is,_ nice to see you, Ember.” Adelya says with a smirk, her tone light-heartedly reprimanding Haru implying she should have said ‘hi’ to you first, and Haru smiles back apologetically. 

“Oh geez your right, sorry. Hi Ember, _congratulations on your shot-gun bonding by the way.”_ Haru apologizes sincerely before becoming sassy again with her second comment, yeah there was a reason you liked her.

You could help but giggle as you take a sip of your coffee, sitting down on the couch, the three of you get comfy as you tell Haru your rehearsed and edited story. 

You told Adelya you would have to come up with a new explanation for Haru, and the two of you decided on one that would let her be as in the loop as you could without invading anyone else's privacy. The version you told her was along the lines of…

‘You got to know Gaster through Sans who you then had to later admit to that you liked Gaster more than him. You and Gaster believe you are soul mates and the bond just kinda happened from there, you don't regret it and neither does Gaster. Gaster is much nicer than everyone gives him credit for, you are not doing this for the grades (although she mentioned she did not think you were in the first place). You told her you had told Gaster about your dream, he offered to help you so for now you dropped out of all your other classes besides his. (Haru wasn't concerned, as a monster, she understood how serious a bond was, that and Gaster being in the royal family made it easy for her to trust he would take care of you) You and Adelya were going to live in his very large house that you still had to ask Gaster if he was okay with you telling only her the location of and lastly… _Lots of people are going to ask you about us when they find out you're my friend Haru so please just say absolutely nothing._ ’

_“Well yeah duh,_ you're the first person to have a real relationship with anyone in the royal family, let alone be _bonded_ to one _and,_ no offense, but you're a _human_ too a lot of jerk monsters aren't gonna like that.” Haru says, obviously agreeing to keep her lips sealed. 

“No offense taken, I expect as much, but until Gaster and I talk to... _everyone else_. We aren't trying to go public with any other information.” You say, and Adelya reaches over to hold your free hand, she could tell you were getting nervous. 

“You okay hun? How did that class go? Haru has been telling me she heard that some girl got kicked out.” Adelya asks, and Haru nods eagerly. 

“You guys said you're free the rest of the afternoon right?” You respond looking at the both of them, and they looked at each other curiously before looking back at you

“Yeah, why?” Haru said, Adelya nodding to agree. 

“Cool, I’ll be happy to tell you guys all about it while Adelya drives us the fifteen minutes it takes to get into town, and during the two-ish hours it will take to finish what I’ll be going there for.” You say, smirking and Adelya raises a brow at you.

_“Please.”_ You say to her smiling sheepishly, you were a bit too forceful, but you had just made a pretty strong decision in your mind. 

“Sure...okay, but why- I mean what are we going into town for, Rockstar?” Adelya asks curiously as the three of you stand up. 

_“Think they're accepting walk-ins at the tattoo shop today?”_ You say mysteriously.

* * *

_(“Not even the opinions in this book will matter to me, Gaster.”)_ You echo to him gently, and your words had effortlessly soothed a panic in him he did not recognize he had until then.

_(“Right, of course, dear.”)_ Gaster responds, he shouldn't be worried, you were just curious as he knew you would be.

Gaster had been teaching Cognitive Psychology when you told him of your anxiety, of course, he could talk to you and teach with no problem, and he had been all too curious to find out what you were reading. As he had said his world has grown substantially since meeting you, and so when he was suddenly able to visualize what you were looking at he wasn't too surprised. He was more impressed to find out you had been looking in the exact correct place for information on his species, the internet and modern books would be too far off from the truth. True, the information in that book was most likely online too, but you would have had to sort that truth there, from endless mixed information online. However, that did not mean there would be no inaccuracies in the book either, just far less than anywhere else would have, so it was a good place to start. It was odd though, he knew that an entry of his kind was in that book, but he never had an interest in looking at it, after all, why would he ever need to read information about himself? 

Gaster never had any interest in reading about himself, he knew all he needed to about his kind for the life he intended to live. There was only one corner of knowledge Gaster purposely avoided in all of his existence, lust and ‘recreational intimacy’. He knew his kind reproduced as most other monsters did, a soul confrontation combined with physical connection of DNA with both parties being completely consenting. The one thing Incubus could not do was force the emotions needed for that, _technically_ it was _almost_ possible, they could control body, mind, and soul but they could not create emotions. He supposed that was one reason his species went extinct, he was thankful for that and he was sure the book would have the same opinion in that sense. 

_(“Prejudice views exist everywhere in all times huh?”)_ You said to him, you sounded livid, and he could feel the anger whipping through your soul.

_(“Correct.”)_ Gaster echoes back, an unnerving thought rushed through his brain as he continued to teach his lecture. 

He had no need to ask about the lustful capabilities of an incubus before, he didn't want to hear it as he was disgusted by the actions of his kind. Maybe at one time, he did know, during his younger years when he could not control his yearly heat, back when he had discovered how to expertly use his sensory magic. He was even aware that he needed to taste his target's blood to create the connection needed for physically controlling the body, but after his revelation earlier with you in his lap he wondered…..

He was now acting like a true incubus with you, his desire wasn't strictly physical as it had been those thousands of years ago during his heat. There were emotions involved now however and you were his soulmate, previously he had never planned to bond to anyone, ever. That said, there were bound to be new things happening, you changed the variables of his life by entering it, the knowledge he had suppressed started to resurface. 

He should resist you for now, until he could figure out what he needed to do to take the proper precautions so he made sure he never even got close to losing control with you. Gaster had only realized then, just how close he was to slipping. He was glad you decided to look at that book, it reminded him of how much of a vile mistake he had been on the fast-track to making. Gaster had a lot of self-control, but he realized what it would take to make him lose himself and snap.

_Overdosing on_ **_you._ **

* * *

Never underestimate the power of leaving a few outfits in the trunk of your best friend's car, you never know when you’ll fall in a puddle of mud or decide to get a tattoo and need more comfortable clothes. See, before Adelya and Haru and you went to the small tattoo shop in town, you needed to change out of your dress and into something that your shoulder was exposed in. However, you also needed the ability to _hide_ it too which is why you also should, _at the very least,_ leave an extra jacket in the trunk of your best friend's car.

You were someone who went a little overboard though, you had two separate outfits in her trunk each separated in a bag so you could easily grab it to change into. So you changed into [one of the outfits](https://imgur.com/a/onF2AuT) you had in there that thankfully had a top that exposed your shoulder, and you put on [the hoodie](https://imgur.com/a/hwwiHXH) that you left there too. You briefly contemplated how you would have to switch out the other outfit for warmer clothes soon, for now, there was only a slight chill in the air, and your thigh-high socks and your hoodie were all you needed to be warm. 

The sound of a jingling bell rang above you as you opened the door to the tattoo shop, Adelya, and Haru right behind you still gushing about how they wish they could have seen Gaster kick out the bitchy girl in class. You had told them the story on the way over, after you called the shop to see if they were accepting walk in’s. The person on the phone said it depended on what you were looking to have done, so you told them, along with the curious Adelya and Haru what you wanted. Thankfully they said that what you wanted would be fine and should only take a few hours, as you had guessed, Haru and Adelya were being too loud and excited and you had to apologize to the girl at the shop. 

Her name was Aria and she just laughed and said it was fine, then turned up the music in the shop, and you couldn't help but laugh at the very specific and fitting [ Three Days Grace](https://youtu.be/e4zKHXHjP78) song playing over the speakers. 'Pain' was cliche sure, but the coincidence was enough to make you giggle, plus she played the rest of the ‘One X’ album and so you couldn't help but get in the mood. The four of you, the tattoo artist Aria included, sang along to the rest of the song in a rare moment of pure serotonin. You were the only ones in the store anyway, and Aria said she was glad you called, saying how business had been slow lately. 

You so totally wanted to give her a 2,000$ tip, because you were feeling manic and the very thought of helping out this super nice and talented artist was _too_ tempting, but then Gaster would find out. You know it's your money, but you felt you should ask him first, so you would come back after today to help out this fellow artist, Aria deserved a better chance to reach her dreams too. Adelya asked if she should use the rest of the 300$ Gaster had given her to pay for it since you said you wanted it to be a secret and she reminded you Gaster would probably see the bank statement if you used your own money. You told her it was fine and that you had a cover story planned, of course, the problem here wasn't him knowing you were at the tattoo shop, the problem here is making sure he doesn't know what you're getting done.

You planned to casually pretend you got a touch-up on your lion tattoo, it was close enough to your shoulder to where you could keep both it and your real tattoo covered until you planned to actually show him. You didn't want to do a big reveal or anything, you found it a much more entertaining and funnier idea to just casually walk by him with it showing. In fact, maybe he could make the whole healing process way quicker if he licked it? The idea is kinda weird and the ink may taste gross but from experience, it's no worse than the ink from a pen, also the feeling of him licking your prior wounds was almost addicting. Maybe the residual taste of your blood would balance out the ink and make it worth it for him, you didn't know if he actually enjoyed the taste of your blood, the book did not elaborate on that. At the very least it could be kinda helpful, it was supposed to give him energy right? Well, you won't know until you show him and ask later anyway.

Both Adelya and Haru were confused as to why you wanted it to be a secret, you showed them your neck with the three pinpricks in it. Then you showed them (mostly Haru) your shoulder where there was no evidence of the bite mark that used to be there before, showing her the picture on your phone as proof that there had _actually been_ a bite mark there in the first place. It had healed so fast, you knew now that was probably because of Gasters…. _fluids...oh god that's too embarrassing to think about,_ even to just yourself. 

“He said he _wants_ me to show off these bite marks he keeps giving me, but they fade so fast because... _because I guess I heal quickly-_ ” You decided you couldn't tell them about the healing abilities for more than one reason, the main one being because you did not want Haru or Adelya to connect the dots with that knowledge, and figure out Gaster was an incubus.

“-even when he gives me bigger bites like this...so I figured I’d make the imprint of his teeth permanent with ink, I get a new meaningful tattoo and he gets to send the message to everyone who I’m bonded to, problem solved.” You say to your two friends, Haru was on board with your idea, explaining how common it was for monsters to want others to see claiming marks like that. 

“It’s an old-fashioned custom, it's rarer nowadays because it was started in smaller monster communities, in larger ones not everyone knows each other, so you can't _specifically_ tell _who_ you're bonded to, but people still find it romantic. Visually obvious bite marks on your partner are usually a sign of a _particularly_ dominant and powerful monster who wants to make a _bold statement_ with them. I can tell that's something that wolf monster I like would be into too. Doesn't surprise me one bit that Gaster is the type.” Haru says with a smirk, giving you a small playful nudge on your arm. 

“Rockstar, it's not my body and I know I have no say here but, you usually give your tattoos ideas a long time to sit in your mind, are you sure he won't be mad?” Adelya says, and you raise an eyebrow at her, you know she's only trying to get you to explain more, if you were getting a tattoo than you were more than certain. 

“I’m sure twinkle toes, why _would_ he be mad?” You ask, confused.

“Well, maybe not mad but...concerned, he’s part of the royal family, isn't it a bit too _bold_ of an approach? You know I don't care and from what you’re saying Gaster would love it sure, but what about the king and queen? I just don't want them thinking you're being too aggressive with your approach or having any reason to judge you unfairly.” She says to you with worried eyes.

You would be upset if it was anyone else, but this was Adelya and you knew she meant well. She wasn't saying anyone should have any judgments or say about your body or what you wanted to do with it, or even what you did in the bedroom for that matter, either. But she was saying, however, that the king and queen could end up being jerks about it, and earlier today you were worried about that too, it’s the same reason you toned down your style at first. When Gaster held you close in his lap after class though, and asked you to be unapologetically his while giving you another visible mark, you pretty much stopped caring about that right then and there. 

“Adelya, I know you mean well and I know you know this, but I've spent my whole life being told I’m too everything. Too lewd, too loud, and too overzealous too much and I’ll be damned if I’ll let anyone, _the royal family included_ , ever tell me I’m ‘too’ _anything ever again_. If the king and queen are going to think or have a problem that I'm too bold about anything, the tattoos wouldn't be the only culprit there. As far as Gaster goes, I’m pretty sure that fact is exactly why he calls me his _‘celestial goddess'.”_ You say with a smirk, but it quickly drops at the squealing and _‘Ooo~Ooo~’s_ and _‘Awwee~’_ s you get from Haru, and Adelya turns your face red in embarrassment. 

_“Nevermind!_ I shouldn't have told you guys if you were just gonna make fun of me.” You say in grumpy-light-hearted irritation, crossing your arms stubbornly yet playfully rolling your eyes.

_“Sorry, sorry,_ you're right,” Adelya starts, both her and Haru collecting themselves to stop giggling.

“Who cares what they think, if they want to be jerks then a tattoo won't make or break that and for what it's worth Ember... I think his pet name for you is and this whole idea is _adorable.”_ Adelya says, with a soft smile, and your heart flutters when she says _‘pet name’_ oh gosh she has no idea. 

“Alright well, _fine_ I forgive you.” You uncross your arms and give her a silly smile, choosing to add one last comment on the subject. 

“Just don't tell him I told you that tho, okay? I don't think he _even realizes_ he calls me that.” You ask politely, addressing both Adelya and Haru.

“Cross my heart, Rockstar.” Adelya says, making an ‘x’ shape over her heart, and you look over to Haru who makes a ‘zip my lips and throw away the key’ gesture.

_“Cool,_ you guys are dorks.” You huff with a smile, you all end up giggling.

Before Aria got started she was setting up her station, opening and loading the tattoo gun with a new sterile needle, and getting out the black, reds, and browns that would be needed. You asked her and your sass-partners-in-crime to give you just a moment, you didn't know if Gaster could tell you were feeling pain, but you didn't want to take the chance. Not only did you not want to risk him freaking out unnecessarily, but he could easily check to see you were at the tattoo studio and if he asked you why you were there, you would need to have a cover story. So you decided you would tell him before-hand, and so you echoed to him.

_(“Hey so sorry I keep bugging you, I know you’re on your way to your three-pm class just wanted to warn you if you feel anything weird it's just me getting my lion tattoo touched up at the shop in town so I’ll be in a minor amount of pain for like two-ish hours.”)_ You feel like a clingy girlfriend, you didn't want to keep bothering him at work...but then again you were serious enough about him to trust him with your life, and getting a tattoo referencing his bond to you...you did not understand how you could feel like too much and not enough at the same time but you guess mental illness is stupid like that.

_(“Ember, any time I spend listening to your voice, in no matter what form, it's a better use of my time than whatever else I could possibly be doing, I assure you. Should I keep you calm, are you with Adelya?”)_ Gaster asks you, and the spinning anxiety in your chest melts and shifts into excitement and warmth again, his tone was normal but you could tell he was worried, and you found it irresistibly cute. 

_(“Adelya is with me yeah, along with our friend Haru..um but I’ll be fine, so you don't have to waste energy on that.”)_ You respond back, maybe just a small part of you was holding onto the idea he needed the energy from your blood and that's why he was biting you.

_(“What an odd thing for you to say dear, you provide me with more energy then I will ever need, I will keep you calm my flame so think nothing of it.”)_ Gaster echoes back, his voice was a bit more passionate than usual, and you wondered if he was thinking the same thing you were. 

‘Did he need your blood? _Or did he crave it?_ Could he stop if you asked him to? _Could he resist his craving?’_

* * *

When Aria was finished with your tattoo you thanked her and paid her double which was just under 200$ which was what you considered the max amount of money to spend without talking to gaster about it; you would give her the rest of the money you planned to once you had a chance to talk to Gaster about it. Speaking of which, he kept you blissfully calm the whole time, and you honestly told yourself you would never get another tattoo without his help because the whole experience was way easier. You thanked him for keeping you calm during and after your tattoo was finished though, and you let him know that you were headed out to have lunch with Adelya and Haru before you would meet him at home. 

He seemed, _Distracted._

You refused to look at your tattoo in the hand mirror Aria gave you, you gave the excuse that you wanted to wait for the redness to go down first. The real reason you resisted was just in case Gaster got worried or curious and looked through your mind again while you were looking at it. After you and Adelya had dropped Haru back off at the dorm, it was around 4:25 pm-ish and she had driven you back to Gasters house on maple. Adelya told you she was going to finish packing up the last of her things tonight and that she would see you tomorrow. She would finally be staying in the room to the far left of the house starting tomorrow, and you were excited. You of course loved all the time you spent with Gaster, but you were certainly missing her company too, so you made plans to have a movie night with her for some much-needed quality time.

You gave Adelya a hug in the car, being careful of your shoulder still wrapped in a make-shift bandage under your hoodie, and went inside the house, making sure to wake goodbye as she drove off. It was around 4:40 pm when you decided enough time had passed, and you felt it was safe enough to finally get a look at your tattoo without Gaster having any leftover curiosity to try and check your mind. The make-shift band-aid was only meant to protect your tattoo till you got home, and so you removed the bandaid to let it breathe and you couldn’t be happier, [ it looked fucking awesome](https://imgur.com/a/OuM1EIw). You _verrrrrry_ gently washed off the A+D ointment Aria had applied with soap and water as you were supposed to, and silently thanked yourself for buying more A+D at the pharmacy in town before heading back. 

You would need to put more of this on, it worked to stop excess bleeding of the tattoo, but it also kept your skin moisturized (which stopped cracking and more bleeding) and it kept it germ-free, which was very important in the healing process. As you were opening the box for the A+D ointment you briefly remembered how easily your tattoo would heal up if Gaster licked it, licking was a weird thought but you were not going to entertain the idea of ... _other possibilities._ That said, if you didn't have to use A+D ointment and your skin quickly healed itself with his help, you would probably have the most vibrant tattoo ever. In your experience, the faster and neater the tattoo healed, the more flawless and darker it looked. That thought alone convinced you that your idea was so innovative you would be really stupid to not at least ask him, if he said no to licking your shoulder you could always offer you trade with him. If he licked your shoulder then you would lick-

You heard the sound of Gaster's briefcase being placed on his desk, you were in the bathroom connected to your shared room and you _jumped._

“Sorry, dear did I scare you?” You hear Gaster say from just outside in the bedroom.

You didn't have enough time to put on any A+D, opting to instead, quickly grab your hoodie and put it on to cover your shoulder, shoving the tube of ointment in the pocket of your hoodie (the cap was still on thankfully). You’d rather be in a little pain and bleed a bit from the hoodie rubbing against your fresh tattoo than give up the chance to reveal your tattoo to Gaster _‘casually’_. 

“Oh, only a little I-” You started to say but as you turned around you saw Gaster standing in the doorway and you jumped a second time, you were so bad at keeping secrets.

You knew this from his response.

“Why are you so jumpy dear, you should be able to tell I was walking towards you. What’s made you so upset?” Gaster says, his tone a bit apprehensive and your heart almost shatters when you realize he may be thinking your upset over the information of that stupid fucking book.

“I’m not upset over that dumb book I just,” you start to say, your shoulders deflating you walk up to him in the doorway, closing the few feet of distance between him and you.

You move to put your hands at his chest and hold yourself close to him as you explain more, Gasters breathing seemed to quicken, but you did not notice as you should have, too wrapped up in your having to let your fun plan go to hell. 

“Well I _wanted_ it to be a kind-of surprise but-” You look up at his expression and it was then that you started to realize his erratic breathing.

Gaster's mouth was slightly open, and he seemed to be needing to constantly swallow his spit like a nervous public speaker, his breathing was heavy and the look in his eyes looked like a mix between irritation, lust, and... _fear?_

“Gaster, are you oka-?” You started to ask, until you were interrupted by your need to focus on his hands that one at a time he himself focused on as they gripped your hips and pulled you harder against him.

The movement caused your jacket to rub painfully against your tattoo and you hissed at the pain, you heard what you didn't know to be an involuntary purr emit from deep in Gasters chest. You stayed quiet, you figured something was clearly wrong and you would let him talk first, it took a moment but Gaster had finally replied. 

“How long...till you heal.” Gaster said, giving a small pause in between, you were blissfully unaware of why he was acting this way, you couldn't make sense of the emotions swirling in your soul from him either. 

It was anxiety, it was desperation, then fear and anger, then excitement and you honestly were getting emotional whiplash, you couldn't comprehend his emotions so you just answered his question. 

“The tattoo? _About that_ ...I actually, well _from what I read_ you could heal it faster for me, um at least I think that's why I’ve been healing up so quickly….” You trail off, but it seemed like Gaster was trying his best to keep eye contact with you. 

_“Why?_ If you're worried about me being uncomfortable I don't think that would be a problem if you tried this idea I was thinking of, see the other bites healed really quick, so quickly in fact that's kinda the reason why I…” You started to ramble off, but you trailed off again, this time because Gaster had brought his right hand from your waist to your left hand that was gently rested against his chest.

“It _may not_ _be…”_ Gaster says in a quiet yet severe tone, taking hold of your left hand and moving it out to the side, you hiss again at the pain from more contact from the jacket on your tattoo.

“A _good_ idea, to-” Gaster was starting to say, but he was talking so slowly and you were anxious to show him your tattoo so you cut him off.

“Gaster I know you're concerned but I've gotten _plenty_ of tattoos before, trust me I know how to take care of them.” You say, his grip loosens and you watch as he blinks briefly, before seemingly composing himself. 

You raise an eyebrow at him, but you are still concerned at the weird combination of emotions, even though they were slightly less intense in this fraction of the moment. You lightly push out of his hold, walking past him out of the doorway of the bathroom you sigh and sit defeated on the bed. Gaster’s attention stays on you as you walk over to the bed, he seems to stand up straighter as if it would make him somehow visually more composed. 

“Gaster, I really don't want to talk about the stuff in the book, it was written by a bigot and it pisses me off, but there **_is_ ** one thing I’d like to ask of you, if you wouldn't mind?” You say, your last few words were soft and sweet as you pat the bed next to you with your hand, asking him to sit with you. 

“Of course, Ember. Just a moment.” Gaster says, and you nod while he walks to his desk and takes off his coat and shoes, and as he's walking over to you he loosens his tie, and for a brief moment, you get an image of it tied tight around your mouth.

It takes you a moment to realize that thought wasn't your own, and with each step closer Gaster gets to the bed his eyes seem to get hungrier until he sits on the bed next to you and he once again seems composed.

“W-What was _that?”_ You ask flustered and red-faced.

“What was _what,_ dear?” Gaster says with a smirk, the most obvious fake-innocence laced in his voice.

“L-Look we really can't get distracted, because if you want to do, _that..._ we can but I’m going to need your help first.” You say playfully-stubborn your tone showing you're clearly still flustered. 

“Well yes you would, _I don't suppose you would gag yourself, darling.”_ Gaster says, his electric silken voice starting the sparks of excitement in you. 

You really couldn't reply to that, you really just couldn't, you were way too flustered and things would be easier if you just showed him. So clicking your tongue and giving a playfully-defeated smile, you move to take off your hoodie, being careful to make sure it did not rub against your tattoo as you did so. You didn't look at him at first, admittedly too embarrassed from both his comment and revealing your new tattoo to him, and as you spoke you resorted to focusing your attention on your hands sheepishly, your hoodie left forgotten behind you on the bed. 

“I was getting really tired of them disappearing, and this way everyone can stop thinking I'm not serious...or at least, I wanted a reminder that I’m... _that we’re_ …your more than just important to me Gaster and I've gotten some of my tattoos for comparably _way less_ significant reasons so I wanted to...” You trailed off as you finally built up the confidence to look up and to the left at Gaster and his reaction. 

His tongue was violently grazing back and forth against the tip of his left fang and the lights of his eyes were a deep…. _vibrant_ shade of _**purple.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The First time I'm ever seriously leaving a chapter off on a cliffhanger! I hate cliff hangers so much, so I try my best to avoid them, but I really could not resist ~ <3
> 
> Tattoo ink really does taste like pen ink it's no different, but it kinda made my mouth numb, how do I know this? Fell asleep on my arm tattoo once while it was healing. xD
> 
> Stay tuned for the first betrayal line experiment, the royal family finding out about your bond, Adelya moving in, parents, that talent competition oh...and whatever happening to Gaster....👀😎
> 
> anyway....see you in the next update <3
> 
> -🔥


	18. Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Did you not read that book carefully enough? As far as monsters go my blindly loyal pet, it really doesn’t get any more dangerous than me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would say that I have an explanation, but I do not. Today I had the opportunity to sit down and write from the moment I woke up, tooooo *check's the time* 4am... and the fact that I left you guys off on a cliffhanger was driving me crazy. ANYWAY somehow NO ONE BOTHERED ME, and I wrote a little over 10,000 words, and suddenly this chapter was done. WARNING, this ENTIRE FUCKING CHAPTER is SMUT!!! ALSO, there is blood in this too (just blood not gore) or what I consider any 'detailed violence'. 
> 
> You'll need this again https://lingojam.com/W-D-Gaster
> 
> Before you start the switch back to Embers POV (a little bit into the chapter) You should listen to this song *Be warned this video has strobe effects/flashy* (https://youtu.be/1alMvA4xQOY) but its cool to look at and impactful for the chapter. However, if you get seizures here is an alternative lyric video ( https://youtu.be/0hOVVVrDl50) I link it down in the story, but if you wish to listen to set the mood for most of the first half of the chapter there it is. 
> 
> Next, the song that this chapter is titled after and the main theme for this part of the story is here if you wish to listen to it before (https://youtu.be/lUFUwz4hhEs) 
> 
> Lastly, there are some...non-con-ish elements, and even tho I hate spoilers I don't want to cause panic attacks so I will say that nothing happens that reader/you/ember regrets.
> 
> That said let's see now where were we....-🔥

There was a difference between magic energy, and physical energy for a monster. See a monster could have an endless supply of magic energy, but not have enough physical energy to keep using it. You were equivalent to a nuclear power plant in battery form, _stronger even._ You had been installed into Gaster by your bond to him, who in comparison to your energy, was only a single electric car. He could drive endlessly with you powering him, but eventually, the tires would wear down to nothing, and the engine would overheat. Gaster was a strong monster, but he needed more physical energy, which is why tasting your blood was _so very effective_. Sure, it may give him more magic energy, but your sinfully indulgent life force was equivalent to his own personal liquid adrenaline. Gaster knew he had to be careful, he felt on the brink of addiction as his mind constantly wandered to your red river of ambrosia. He was _supposed_ to be saving you, not leaching off of you.

You keep telling him nothing he can do would upset you, but he can't help but still see himself as a parasite, especially with his recent actions. So he decided he wouldn't taste your blood anymore, he had to quit entirely now, before he lost his self-control. He had to keep suppressing his real self, you wanted him to forgive himself but for who he was born as there was no complete redemption for him. Like you told him, he had to tear this desire of his all down; he had to admit his failures and stop them entirely.

You had told him you would be getting a ‘touch up’ on your lion marking, that concerned him to have you bleeding around anyone. He had been brooding feelings of jealousy until you told him Adelya was with you, he could trust her to keep you balanced but he still wished to keep you calm. You had said you did not want to ‘take too much of his energy’ and he knew what you were actually implying, you had to have read that blood could give him energy and you were trying to give him an excuse for taking some from you last night and this morning. He wouldn't allow you to let him off the hook so easily.

_(“What an odd thing for you to say dear, you provide me with more energy then I will ever need, I will keep you calm my flame so think nothing of it.”)_ Gaster echoes back, he did not need the energy he got from your blood, it was just a selfish high he craved and he would tell you that clearly when he got home. 

He could tell when you were in the process of your tattoo, and he admittedly was worried at first but when he looked through your mind all he saw was your comforting friends. You mentioned you were with another friend by the name of Haru, he assumed this was the bunny monster sitting next to Adelya that he saw. However, he did find it odd that you were angled, almost looking up at the ceiling, but your lion marking was on your back. Gaster couldn't dwell on it too much, he was focusing on sending you magic constantly as he numbed the bubbling anxiety he would feel twisting in your soul. You were clearly in a constant state of mild pain, as you had warned him you would be, but as the saliva pooled in his mouth, he realized his feelings were not just concerned. 

None of his students could tell, as he was easily capable of hiding his mouth-watering response to your pain. That didn't mean he wasn't deep in thought as he taught his lecture, he started to imagine what your face looked like, slightly burdened by this pain. He was using his energy to keep you calm and to focus on teaching and as such, there was no physical energy left to stop his constant flow of _other_ thoughts. Your constant pain started to rial him up, it was as if his own blood was calling out for yours, his mouth was confused as to why your taste was absent on his tongue. 

Finally, it seemed your marking was finished being fixed and you had thanked him for keeping you calm, adding you would see him at home after you had lunch. He tried his best to give you the shortest reply, agreeing to see you once he came home, he still had around 45 minutes left till his lecture was over. Then, when it was finally over, he quickly grabbed his briefcase and stepped into the void. As he approached the house he saw the light of your soul in the bedroom and so he materialized near his desk, he had to discuss that book and how he had to stop indulging in your blood. He had to remind you that he was a dangerous monster, no matter how foolishly brave you may be, **_he was dangerous_** and you needed to keep that in mind. 

* * *

  
  


Gaster set his briefcase on his desk, you seemed to be in the bathroom connected to your shared room, but the door was open and he felt your soul jump in surprise as you heard him come in.

“Sorry, dear did I scare you?” Gaster says making his way to the doorway, he worried momentarily that you were frightened by the obviously prejudiced views of the book.

You yourself did tell him how awful it was, and he could feel the genuine anger in you when you had, but what if you were instead angry he had not told you this too? He knew you did not blame him, there just wasn't time to say these things, he never thought he would have to tell you any of this. 

He stood in the doorway as you responded, and watched you as you turned around you had changed your outfit, you had a red skirt on...he loved you in red.

“Oh, only a little I-” You started to say but when you turned around and saw him standing in the doorway, you jumped a second time, it didn't make any sense to him. 

You were obviously so distracted you couldn't focus on your own soul that could feel him close, why were you so jumpy? He was worried you were scared of him, but he tried to remember that mantra of yours and relaxed. 

“Why are you so jumpy dear? You should be able to tell I was walking towards you, what’s made you so upset?” Gaster says, his tone a bit apprehensive and your face went from shocked to crestfallen. 

“I’m not upset over that dumb book I just,” you start to say, Gaster was still suspicious of your sudden nerves around him, and when you walked up to him in the doorway, closing the few feet of distance between the two of you, he almost felt calm. **_Almost._ **

You move to put your hands at his chest and hold yourself close to him as you explain to him more, but Gaster could barely listen as he was trying to calm his breathing. He could taste your scent on his tongue, most of the time he only needed to open his mouth a bit to do so, but right now things were different. He was having a hard time not trying to drool as he tasted more of your scent, the aroma of nectar which seemed to be radiating from your shoulder. 

“Well I wanted it to be a kind-of surprise but-” You look up at his expression and it was then that you started to realize his remaining composure cracking, you had teased the incubus in him unbearably and he spent lots of his physical energy keeping himself under control. 

He knew you could see him slipping, constantly swallowing his spit that built from the mouth-watering presence, **_you were bleeding._** He couldn't seem to calm his breathing and he was furious he was losing grip, he wanted you now you had been so cruel to him, tempting him with your pain. He was terrified he had no fight left, no physical energy left to resist, maybe he could resist better with _just a little…._ no, no, absolutely not. 

“Gaster, are you oka-?” You started to ask, until you were focused on his hands as he gripped your hips and pulled you harder against him, this is all he would allow himself, he could handle this much, but he had to stay away until you no longer smelled so tempting. 

His movement of pulling you closer caused you to hiss in pain, and the incubus in Gaster could not hide the pleased reaction to your slight struggle and a purr trilled from deep within his chest. This was _bad_ , _this was_ ** _bad_** , he needed to stay away till you weren't leaking fresh blood, he had to detox from you so he could handle himself in the future. The more blood he took the less control he had to refrain from it, if he could stop for a while he could cut off this addiction.

“How long...till you heal.” Gaster said, giving a small pause in between, he was almost in pain trying to stop the twisting fight in his soul, the incubus in him clawing his way out, the rest of him holding on by a thread. 

“The tattoo? _About that_ ...I actually, well _from what I read_ you could heal it faster for me, um at least I think that's why I’ve been healing up so quickly….” You trailed off, Gaster was trying his best to keep eye contact with you, _‘don't look at her shoulder, don't look’_ he told himself.

_"Why?_ If you're worried about me being uncomfortable I don't think that would be a problem if you tried this idea I was thinking of, see the other bites healed really quick, so quickly in fact that's kinda the reason why I…” You started to explain, you wanted him to heal your tattoo? 

He would need to lick it, or fill you with… _no, he can't_ do that he would just be too tempted seeing the wound without it covered, the scent of blood would be too strong. Gaster had brought his right hand from your waist to your left hand that was gently rested against his chest.

“It may not be…” Gaster says in a quiet yet severe tone, taking hold of your left hand and moving it out to the side, he had to tell you he would need to stay away.

Ah but then you hissed in pain again, and Gaster internally shuddered, he only had a single fiber of control left, that one small string of control he had left was tearing. 

“A good idea, to-” Gaster was starting to say, he had to finish the sentence _‘be around you, for now, I might hurt you’_ but then he got a particularly strong wave of the scent of your blood in the air. 

More blood seemed to spill from that tattoo, he could pin-point it now, it was on your neck near your shoulder. He knew that was not where your lion marking was, you had gotten a different tattoo from what you told him and the irresistible smell was driving him mad. 

“Gaster I know you're concerned but I've gotten plenty of tattoos before, trust me I know how to take care of them.” You had said to him and Gaster felt something in him snap. 

His grip loosens and he blinks briefly, before easily being able to compose himself. 

See, he was calm because he didn’t have to fight to hold back anymore, _because he decided to stop trying to hold back_. So he let you go, because he found it a better idea to stalk his victim. It made the fear in them stronger, and he craved the image of your precious, scared, lustfully pained face writhing underneath him. He wanted to see the expression on your face as you lost your mind completely to lust, just as you had made him.

You raise an eyebrow at him, then you lightly push out of his hold, walking past him out of the doorway of the bathroom you took a seat on the bed. His eyes never left your body as he watched you walk to the bed, and he did his best to impersonate his composed self.

“Gaster, I really don't want to talk about the stuff in the book, it was written by a bigot and it pisses me off, but there is one thing I’d like to ask of you, if you wouldn't mind?” You say, blissfully ignorant to what he had decided as you pat the bed next to you with your hand, asking him to sit next to you. 

“Of course, Ember. Just a moment.” Gaster says, and you nod while he walks to his desk and takes off his coat and shoes, he knew what you were going to ask him to do and surprisingly, somehow a piece of his mind still seemed to be screaming for him to leave your presence instead. 

He would convince you just how dangerous his species could be, and as he's walking over to you he loosens his tie, sending you an image of it tied tight around your mouth. Gaster revels in your flustered expression as he felt starved for your body, but he didn't want to scare you off just yet. So he falsely composes himself as he sits on the bed next to you. He wanted to hear you ask him to taste you, the thought excited him.

“W-What was _that?”_ You asked him, innocently.

“What was _what,_ dear?” Gaster says with a smirk, the ability to hide the excitement in his voice disappearing by the second.

“L-Look we really can't get distracted, because if you want to do, _that..._ we can but I’m going to need your help first.” You say to him, still so clearly flustered. 

“Well yes you would, _I don't suppose you would gag yourself, darling.”_ Gaster says, a small growl of excitement causes your soul to flutter, everything about you was so addicting to him. 

At first, he had left you speechless, so instead of trying to talk, you moved to take off your hoodie. When Gaster looked at the source of your sweet-smelling blood, he recognized your new tattoo as his previous mark, reaffirmed on your skin. The scent of your life force seeping through your soft skin was so strong, that the nagging, screaming background voice in his head, _blissfully_ ** _disappeared._ **

You didn't look at him at first, and he couldn't stop drooling, running his tongue over his left fang as he listened to you speak so... _deliciously, submissive._

“I was getting really tired of them disappearing, and this way everyone can stop thinking I'm not serious...or at least, I wanted a reminder that I’m... _that we’re_ …your more than just important to me Gaster and I've gotten some of my tattoos for comparably _way less_ significant reasons so I wanted to...” You said as you finally looked up, and he trapped you easily with his gaze, Gaster almost couldn't decide, _there was so much he wanted to do with you._

* * *

“G-Gaster? Um...are you...okay?” You asked nervously and quite honestly you don’t really feel safe at all right now, the energy in your soul from Gaster had so clearly snapped, almost reset itself and in its place was a lustful fire... _but you still refused to be afraid._

Gaster moved just a bit closer to you on the bed, and you instinctively leaned back just a bit, you couldn't look away from his eyes even if you wanted to. Yet this didn't feel involuntary, somehow you felt the sensation of your very soul being willed to his attention. There was a little string of black saliva trailing down the side of his mouth as he leaned in and finally spoke, you were hanging off his every word. 

“Oh my dear, I am _more than okay.”_ He chuckled darkly, bringing his left hand to your face, his right hand braced against the mattress as he leaned in. 

You never had any reason to flinch at his advances before, but in this moment and with the tone of his laughter, you briefly did before his hand touched your face. You swore you could hear a purr coming from his chest as he continued to speak. 

“You're _too good to me,_ my love.” Gaster says to you sweetly, but you're hesitant to fall for his words, even if you did seem to calm down a bit from them, he seemed to like your tattoo that's for sure... maybe things were still okay. 

“Your blind trust…” He starts, his hand slowly making its way down your neck, “...this silent devotion to your master…” his hand moved across your sternum and to your tattooed shoulder, stopping right before it.

He breaks his gaze with you to look down and you follow it as you look to your shoulder, thin lines of dark blood trailed from various places on your tattoo, your plasma mixed with the ink. You dry swallowed nervously, you’ll be fine...he was just trying to fluster you.

“Your delicious, mouth-watering, unsullied innocence….your passionate, uncorrupted view of the remaining... mostly docile monsterkind.” Gaster says, his voice like the soft hiss of a taser that sent shivers over your skin.

“G-Gaster, t-the book said you can heal things, I- I know it's going to be mixed with the taste of ink but….If you could, um… it said your saliva could heal it quickly and then we can do...whatever…” You tried to keep the confidence in your words, but he seemed to radiate an aura that constantly brought goosebumps to form all over your arms and legs. 

You heard another purr, and as he looked back up your eyes met his again, he tilted his head slightly, an amused smile on his face.

“You want me to heal it?” He asks simply, and the taunting tone in his voice caused you to quietly whimper as you nodded slightly.

Gaster chuckled once with an open-mouthed smile, _you weren't afraid,_ you told yourself.

“You know, dear... It doesn’t need to be direct contact with the wound, there are _other ways_ I can give you what's needed to heal you.” Gaster says, and you realized he figured it out, he knew you liked the way it felt when he licked your wounds too, otherwise, you would’ve simply agreed to sex.

He looked at you knowingly, you would have to say it but you tried your best to avoid it, too determined to give in.

“Gaster please, that’s- I mean don’t you think it would just... the blood would just go to waste then right? So please, you might as well...” You trailed off, and Gaster uses his right hand braced on the bed, to yank your left arm towards him.

You yelped in pain, he didn't use much force, and you weren't far from him on the bed, but the movement of your tattooed shoulder being moved so quickly was painful; you could see a bit more blood had seeped from your tattoo at the moment. 

“You're pleading with me to taste your blood? ...Oh, my pet, what a _foolish_ thing to do.” Gaster says, with a few prominent chuckles, the sickly amused tone of which, was followed by a similarly twisted expression.

Your eyes went wide at his response, and you had to focus on calming your breathing or you were going to panic.

“Did you not read that book carefully enough? As far as monsters go my blindly-loyal pet, it really doesn’t get any more dangerous than **_me._ "**Gaster says, his last words a vicious growl. 

Your breathing didn't get faster, but it did get deeper, he was trying to push you away again and you were pissed, so your expression turned into a stubborn one. You yank your arm back out of his hold and cross your arms, he was just trying to scare you off again.

“If you're so desperate to convince me of that, _then prove it, Gaster_. Otherwise, just please help this heal...so I can remind you that _you’re not going to hurt me…”_ You say to him, your hardened stubborn expression, twists into a flustered one as he seemed to get more excited with your resistance and you couldn't help but look away as you added.

“At..at least... not anymore then I’ll end up wanting you to anyway…” You mumbled and you suddenly heard a various combination of what sounded like computer glitches and electrical pops, you heard this before on your walk with Gaster to the forest clearing. 

(“☹✋⚐☠💧📪 ☜💣👌☜☼...✡⚐🕆 ☟✌✞☜ ❄⚐ 💧❄⚐🏱 ❄☟✋💧 💧❄🕆👌👌⚐☼☠ 🕆☠🕈✌✞☜☼✋☠☝ ❄☼🕆💧❄📪 ✡⚐🕆🕯☼☜ ☝⚐✋☠☝ ❄⚐ ☝☜❄ ✡⚐🕆☼💧☜☹☞ 😐✋☹☹☜👎✏”)

Sadly, this time, you couldn't understand it like you were able to before.

When you looked back at Gaster who was covering his mouth, the purple in his eyes seemed to pulse between violet and white before settling back to purple, which even seems more vibrant now than before.

“Of course, after all, what kind of lion would I be, if I refused a tempting, wounded prey? A lamb _that begs me to taste her.”_ He says narrowing his eyes, you felt he was saying that to more than just you, and you kept your confidence up, refusing to believe his comments were any more than empty threats. 

You feel another shiver down your back as Gaster leans in again, his left hand at your knee, he glides his hand up and under your skirt, griping at the soft flesh of your thighs. You put your hand at the wrist of his wandering one in an attempt to stop it, but all you end up doing is causing the claws on Gaster's hand to unsheath. You hissed in pain, his claws didn't dig deep into you, but you can tell he must have drawn a little blood from your leg in a few places. 

“T-That's not where I need you to heal.” You said stubbornly, and Gaster let out an impatient growl, before removing his hand, and you found your body involuntary standing up from the bed. 

He had you take a step forward before releasing his hold, you stumbled a few steps farther before regaining your balance. You turned around flustered and frustrated, _what was he even doing?_

“Gaster what t-” You went to complain, the look of Gaster casually leaning forward, his elbows braced on his knees as he looked at you with a devious grin and you were too distracted to finish your sentence. 

“I will heal it for you my pet, but first…” Gaster tilts his head _“...strip_ [ _for me_](https://youtu.be/1alMvA4xQOY) _.”_ He says in a dark mischievous tone as he clearly savored your embarrassed expression. 

“W-Why-?“ You could only squeak out, before he talked over you, cutting you off with a dominant order.

_"That wasn’t a request. Take off your clothes for me, or would you rather I_ **_force_ ** _you to?”_ He growls, and you could only shake your head no.

_“That's what I thought.”_ Gaster says, and he sits up, bracing his hands on the mattress as he leans back slightly to watch you. 

The small violent glimmer in his gaze sparked the kerosene in your veins, so what if he wanted you naked? You planned on trading him a blowjob for healing the tattoo if he got this way, you just didn't think he would be so forceful. Then again...you didn't hate this, you just hated his constant attempts at trying to scare you, you were hoping this was just his way of showing his appreciation. His eyes seemed to be devouring your flustered expression, you liked when he was dominant like this, you just didn't like when he talked bad about himself.

So as you slowly removed your shirt, and he seemed to be breathing heavier, your heart beat faster in excitement. He knows you like to be treated like you're the only important thing in the world in moments like this. You would have to remind him again that you trusted he would never abuse this _‘complete cooperation‘_ that you were happy to give him, you remove your skirt and step out of it as it falls to the ground. 

“Gaster, you know you don't have to force me to do anything, _I belong to only you, remember?”_ You say in a sultry voice, you kept your eyes on him, remembering how much that affected him earlier today in the shower. 

It seemed to be working to excite him, Gaster sat up, keeping his eyes on you as he worked on removing his already loosened tie completely from around his neck and unbuttoning most of his dress shirt from the collar. 

“It's why _I trust you_ with my soul _and my body.”_ You unclip your bra, one strap was already down to avoid your tattoo, and you remove it so it falls to the ground too.

That comment made Gaster visibly shiver and he hummed a deeply pleased tone in response, as he watched you slip your cute black underwear down past the soft thighs of your legs. When you easily stepped out of them so they could join your other clothes in a pile on the floor, Gaster beckoned you closer with a casual ‘come here’ movement of his hand, with his tie in the other. You walked closer to him and he looked at the tie, then back at you and simply pointed down. You were smart enough to know what he wanted, so you slowly got down on your knees one at a time in front of him. 

“Anything _else_ you want to say to your doctor, before I make talking _too difficult_ for you?” Gaster says as he brings his free hand up under your chin to better grab your attention. 

You could tell he was expecting you to say something along the lines of _‘please don't gag me’_ or _‘I don't want to do this’_ , but in reality, you found this exciting and you actually _did_ want this. From what he had said It seems he wanted to be called _'doctor'_ this time, for now at least, so you nod before replying with a sentence that you had admittedly, already planned while you daydreamed about him this afternoon.

“I need your help doctor...I think there's something wrong with me…” You say biting your lip and feigning innocence, looking over at your shoulder as if to imply that's all you were talking about, before quickly continuing; your tone switching to sultry.

_“...I’m addicted to how I feel when I’m submitting to you like this Doctor, can you remedy that too?”_ You say, with a lustful smirk as you give him your best-bedroom eyes, surprised he let you say that much, his breathing was getting heavy again.

Gaster hummed in amusement again before he chuckled sinfully at your reply, returning your smirk with a pleased one of his own. You held your desperately flirtatious expression as he moved to hold the tie tightly in his hands, horizontal to your mouth. He slowly brought it up to your lips, giving you a single nod and you did what you knew he wanted you to, behave. So you opened your mouth when he pushed the tie forward, and once it was in your mouth you bit down on it between your teeth, you could feel him tying it tightly around the back of your head as he spoke to you. 

“Well now, if you want to play doctor; my _foolishly devoted patient_ , you're in luck.” You feel the tight pull of his tie being knotted in place at the back of your head. 

“I happen to know the solution to the problem that ails you, it lies at the end of your limits…” Gaster says, bringing his left hand to the right side of your face tenderly, and he coaxes you to stand up and climb on his lap so you’re straddling him on the bed. 

He looks into your eyes, the thumb of his left hand at your face runs over your cheek sweetly, his right hand moving your hair away from your tattoo. 

_“Addiction is a product of the mind, you see...and I’m an expert in…”_ Gaster says hypnotically as he leans into your neck to kiss just under your left ear, you softly moan at his contact.

_“...finding limits…”_ He continues as he kisses down your neck, “...that tie may stop most of your words out-loud…” Gasters hot breath from his words steams against your tattoo.

“But you could still echo to me… _and we can't have that...”_ He says as he gives the raw skin of your tattoo a long graze with his black tendril tongue, and you shudder at the extremely satisfying warmth his saliva creates, your moans stifled by the tie. 

He pulls back just a bit to swallow his excessive drool as he tastes your blood mixed with ink on his tongue. You can feel his body shudder and his breathing gets uneven and wild as he moves his left hand, it snakes its way from your face around to the back of your head. He grips your hair and the knot of the tie, and pulls your head to the side slightly, so he can get better access to your neck. He can barely collect himself as he huffs heavy beats before continuing to speak. 

“So I’m going to find your mind's limit, _and break it_ so your conscious mind is cleared of thought until you can't even recognize _anything other than…”_ He gives your tattoo another lick with his tongue, twirling it around every last escaped drop of blood, _“...endless ecstasy.”_

The pain of your tattoo seemed to go numb, before you felt the tightness and heat of your skin as it seemed to close up and form as it flawlessly healed. You weren't paying attention to that, however, because just above your tattoo, farther up your neck, Gaster had bit down on your skin, **_hard._ **

_“Gah-mhn!!”_ You tried to form his name in your mouth as you screamed in pain, but the tie gagging you made it impossible. 

Gaster was still clinging on to you, and you tried to squirm in pain and out of his hold, but it only hurt more, so you stayed frozen, just hoping he would release you soon. You figured he would do some pain play, but you could feel the gushing blood and you were worried. The neck was a delicate place and while not close to an artery, you were a bit terrified by the red you saw dripping down your chest. Gaster had finally unlatched his jaw, then immediately pulled back to lick the wound of his teeth marks, the pain almost instantly disappearing as you felt the similar sensation of tightness as the puncture wounds closed up easily. 

You knew that just like your tattoo they had completely healed, but there was still so much blood left behind on your body. Gaster pulled back and used his left hand to direct your attention on him, his ivory white lips were covered in blood, and as he looked at your pained, tear-stained face his tongue attempted to catch the surrounding blood around his mouth. You knew you weren't supposed to speak to him in his mind, and you were worried with what he just did that the punishment would be too severe for you to handle. So you tried your best to show him your disapproval, but also that you weren't backing down or afraid.

See, you felt very unsafe, but you also knew that Gaster was going to hate himself later for this and that mixed with the initial pain, is why you couldn't stop crying. Gaster simply hummed in approval to your pained face, and moved his left hand down to grip your right shoulder as he leaned his head down to clean up the excess blood on your body. As his tongue lapped at the bloody mess he made of you, you could feel summoned hands un-knotting and releasing you from your gag as the tie fell down and out of your mouth. You gasped, and were about to say something, but you didn't know where to start and all you only ended up succeeding in letting out was a sniffle and whimper as you were still crying. You decided to stay silent until he was done cleaning off your skin, and the worst part was the movements of his tongue on your skin still built up a sinful pressure between your thighs.

You weren't completely clean, your skin was still stained slightly pink, but Gaster had pulled back finally to look at you, seemingly drunk, his breathing slowed as he spoke in an attempt to comfort you. 

“The blood in your veins is a sweet flow of wine that rushes just under the skin, that you permanently branded as mine.” Gaster says to you, his sweet poetic tone somehow shining through his voice even when he was like this, and the loss of blood made the flushing of your flustered face feel _so much more intense._

Gaster gave you a deep breathy moan, he almost seemed to affectionately coo at you, as he brought both his hands to either side of your face. His thumbs wiped away the tears just under your eyes and he spoke to you softly, saying something that just caused you to sink deeper into a trance with him.

“I promise I love you endlessly, my flame. Accept my love still, after this, if you can.” He says, you can see a flicker of devastation in his still violet eyes before his lips meet yours, and you kiss him back eagerly.

This was wrong, your eyes were tearing up still even with them closed, he hated himself so much, but besides a little light-headed...and the initial pain, you felt _good_. You more than good, you felt….you’ve fallen deeper for him...even after what he just did... _there really was something wrong with you. **Fuck it.**_

You had your tongue lightly push past his lips to graze his, you tasted your blood as his tendril twisted back to meet your passionate motion. You were the first one to guide him deeper into this, excitedly breathing more intensely, you moaned into his lips. Gaster growled back, possessively continuing to kiss you back with equal fever, moving his hands to the small of your back while you moved your hips down to grind against him, his already hard erection pressing against your naked core. You bring your arms up gently to his shoulders, then lightly push at them, and to your surprise he follows your silent request to fall back onto the mattress, taking you with him. 

Your knees now braced on the mattress as you straddled him, you slightly pulled back from his kiss to lick his bottom lip softly, cleaning off a smudge of your own blood that was left there. You give him one final kiss before you pull back, just enough to look in his eyes, yours still lightly glistening with tears. Gaster was panting, and he was the first to speak in this moment of stillness between breaths. 

“You still...we...we are both...there is something severely... _wrong_...with us, isn't there?” He asks you, with an unstable look of worried-amusement, you can see your tears fall on his neck, and you nod in agreement, your smile just as unfitting. You lean down to kiss his cheek, but your head stays in the crook of his neck, unable to look him in the eyes when you admit…

“Gaster...I still want to... _I want you to find my limits...”_ You say in a needy moan, embarrassed and in a daze, your hips rock against his impatiently. 

_“I’m going to be the death of you.”_ Gaster says, and you could tell he wanted to hold back, you could tell he thought you may just have said that to try and please him. You realized how dangerous he was, you knew you shouldn't keep pushing him but for once…

Your motives were completely selfish, fueled by your own lust...you had little to no care for your life...a small reminder you were certainly still manic, but you trusted him. After all this, you still trusted him, you were still alive, if he wanted to bleed you dry then that would be his decision to make. He saved you, so then in your mind, your life belonged to him, but right now you needed him to _break you as he promised_. You wanted to be forcefully brought out of reality, so you could eventually, _finally_ , come back down. You wanted him to guide you out of your dangerous manic state again, and this time you felt like he could balance you out for a long while if he just….

_“I promise I love you, Gaster. So, do it for me,_ **_please._ "**You beg, grinding down on him again, and Gaster pulls you close to his chest, before quickly switching positions with you, so he looms over you. 

His eyes still a bright violet, his breath still heavy with lust. 

“Then I won't stop, _even if you beg me.”_ He says with a desperate growl, but you could tell his words were less of a statement, and more like a final warning, a final chance to back out, to run. 

_“I know.”_ You whimper, your thighs gently rubbing together in anticipation, you can hear the sound of Gasters claws tearing through the comforter underneath you on the bed, his expression is one of greedy bliss, he moves to nuzzle his head in the crook of your neck. 

_“Then know that I love you, goddess.”_ Gaster says to you, licking up your neck, he sighs a warm breath washes over your healed and painless, yet hypersensitive skin, he kisses you gently just under your ear.

That one small kiss, shot an addicting fire through your whole body, your back arching as you gasped, and squeaked. Images flash through your mind of you sitting at the edge of the bed, just as Gaster had been earlier. So when Gaster leans up and moves back he doesn't need to force you, for you to understand that he wants you to mirror the vision. So you move to the edge of the bed and you watch him as he stands up and slowly unbuttons the last few buttons on his dress shirt, which most certainly would have been stained in your blood if it weren't black. 

“You were such a good girl for your doctor.” Gaster says his voice deep with lust as he continues to make his teasing remarks. 

“First you strip for me…” His dress shirt falls to the floor, “then you get on your knees for me and confess your lust.” He says, your face burning hot as your breathing gets almost shaky in embarrassment, your desperation for him clear in your expression. 

Gaster unfastens the leather belt at his waist, pulling free from his belt loops, he folds it in half twice. Savoring your expression of unease, he walks up to you, and you sheepishly look up at him from the bed, biting your lip at his hypnotic gaze.

_“Don't worry dear,_ I fully intend to stay to the pleasure side of the scale, _if_ you continue to behave for me, _that is.”_ He says, and as if it was a riding crop, he brings the stiff, folded leather belt just under your chin, then glides it down over your shoulder and you shiver at the light touch. 

“You went through this pain because you wanted to be marked as mine forever, right?” Gaster asks you bluntly, and you obediently nod.

“So I wonder then, if you’ll continue to permanently mark wherever I bite? I'd have to take photo evidence each time for reference... _the idea is tempting…”_ Gaster says in a hushed tone, as he runs the belt down your shoulder, and across your chest. 

“I kept you calm the whole time, it was _exhausting_...but your scream you gave me a moment ago….” Gaster brings the belt between your breasts, directly up under your chin making you strain your neck up to look at him again as he leans down close to you, you could feel his breath against yours. 

“It makes me wish I would have instead listened to your painful moans as you willingly marked yourself for me. You entice me to devour you, know that I will **_never_** _let you go._ ” Gaster says with seductive intensity. 

That statement of his wasn't meant to be romantic, it wasn't a statement, it was a vicious promise, yet still, it sent a sinful shiver down your back. Your submissive whimper, made Gaster just as excited in turn, tossing his belt to the floor, he couldn't hold back from kissing you. So for just a moment, your lips connected in a few heated passionate kisses, before Gaster pulled away, visibly hesitant. 

“Your blood, _it's the reason I can even do this….”_ Gast says, you knew what he was trying to say, he wanted to control himself, he wanted to let loose entirely, but he balanced himself constantly and it was your blood that gave him the energy to do so. 

You wanted him to dominate you, you knew one thing he liked for sure...so to snap him back to indulging himself with you freely, you brought your hands up slowly to rest at the waistband of his pants. 

_“Ember…”_ Gaster moaned your name, it was a mix of silent desperation, and a warning, Gaster was asking you to make the next move, so he knew how far to go, and all it took for you to understand that was him saying your name. 

You lightly pull him closer and you unfasten the button on his slacks while you bring your mouth to the zipper, your tongue coaxing the tab of it. When you grip it in your teeth you drag it down, and push down on the waistband of his pants till his erection is free from them and you do the same to his boxers as well. You kiss the shaft of Gasters stiff length, looking back up at him, his face flushed a deep grey, his eyes were still purple, but a slightly lighter shade than before. You knew you were messed up, because it just made you want to push him over the edge again. 

“Finish what you started, Gaster…” You lightly licked his length, as you focused on sending him your lust through your touch.

“Reward me for my devotion…” another lick, as you tried to will his aphrodisiac magic to become your own, “...or punish me for my recklessness,” you kissed his now pulsing cock, looking back up at him.

“Either way...I want you to break me, _like_ _you promised.”_ You said sitting up slightly so you could lick the tip of his head, and when you looked back up, his eyes were once again that vibrant purple, and you couldn't help but smirk flirtatiously at him. 

Gaster moves to step out of his pants, his eyes never leaving yours, a summoned hand grips you from the back of your neck, then pulls you up, coaxing you to stand. You squeaked but were excited all the same, you’ve seen his worst, and your twisted mind wanted him to do so much more. He brought you close, your body's pressed up against each other just like this morning in the shower, and he responded to your comment just like last night as he fucked you into two orgasms. 

_“Gladly.”_ He says, and in seconds his lips were against yours, and you felt that magnetic pull again, the excitement of your first kiss at the creek, it melted with the fear, the resolution the passion, the love...the stronger bond you felt pulse in your soul. 

Your mind was spinning, if this started an endless cycle then let it start, you weren't sure how long you could last, but you wanted to find out. The hand at the back of your neck disappeared, Gasters hands at your waist, pushed you back, his claws weren't out but his grip was tight and the two of you pulled back from your kiss painting.

**_“Lie down.”_ ** He commands and your body shudders before it unwillingly returns back to the bed, you're willed to the middle your hands are forced above your head, your wrists held by summoned hands. 

You wondered why he didn't just force you to keep your hands up like before, but then he started talking...just when you thought there wasn't anything new he could make you feel...

_“Ember...I want you to listen to the sound of my voice, and I want you to let it guide you into my control.”_ He said to you from, somewhere…you weren't paying attention, because _somehow_ your body had felt _each vibration_ of his voice.

_“I’m speaking to you in your mind, out loud, and with each word…”_ you only recognized he was next to you on the bed when you felt his right hand on your thigh, you looked up and saw him looking down at your hungrily. 

_“I will be slowly increasing doses of my sensory magic.”_ He says, [ from all sides](https://youtu.be/JYCmfIP_5kY) of your senses, moving his hand up your thigh and doing exactly as he promised. 

Your back arched and you had been trying to stifle your moans, because the building pressure was making you want to scream, Gasters eyes narrowed and you realized he took your silence as a challenge. 

_“I won't stop, until I bring you past your limit, I’m warning you now…”_ He moves to lean in closer to your squirming body, his hand trailing up your chest, _“...because I will cause you to lose your conscious mind, and I want to hear you agree to that.”_ He says, a predatory tone that was clearly motivated by your combined desire and trust, still somehow assuring your consent. 

“Yess~ ah...Gaster... _please_ , _yes~_ I trust you.” You replied, still attempting to muffle your building fire in the pit of your stomach, you could feel how dripping wet you were and he’d _barely even touched you_. 

_“Then, I’ll take your attention away from here...so my flame...let go of your mind….”_ Gaster says, moving both his hands to your thighs, as he has you spread them so he could position himself between them. 

His erection was dripping pre-cum and you could feel it pulse against you as he indulged himself in a few slick motions against your own dripping entrance. He took in a sharp breath as he so clearly was keeping his composure, it seemed he wanted to do something more to you before the main event. Fixing his wavering breath, he moved his hands to position your thighs up, and he leaned down to lick the small pinprick wounds he created earlier, before he spoke more.

_“Ember, I want you to succumb to my magic...surrender yourself to me…think of only me.”_ Gaster says seductively, making good on his earlier promise, each and every word pulsed through your body as a higher and higher dose, you couldn't hold back your voice anymore. 

_“Ga~ster! Ah~mhnnh~!”_ You choke out, unable to stop your moans, Gaster moves his hands up to roam your body, he leans down to run his tongue over the sensitive mounds of your breasts. 

_“Yes, that’s it my love~ stay so enticingly submissive, there is no need to resist me, I want to hear that beautiful voice **scream** for me.” _ Gaster says, and he starts licking and kissing his way down your chest and down your stomach, he nipped lightly at the dip in your hips and you squeaked.

_“My love, you’re so good at knowing how to please me, let me show you my appreciation.”_ Gaster says, looking at you from between your legs was erotic enough, but this building tension alone had you feeling like you would cum any second. 

_“Accept my complete control, give yourself to me entirely...let yourself belong to me, and only me, entrust yourself to my control.”_ Gaster says his words hot against the soft skin of your inner thighs, and you do as he asked, you let your head relax back onto the pillow underneath it. 

You let this burning ecstasy sensation engulf you, and you felt like the moment before you hit the water, you held your breath right before you felt the ocean of Gasters magic surround you. You felt your breath guided by the pulsing of your soul, and the parts in it that were his, and you let go. 

_“Good girl~”_ Gaster says with a breathy chuckle. 

You can hear him from around you, but your vision was blurry, and all there was to look at was the ceiling, so you kept your eyes closed. Then you felt the slick, gliding, sweetest release of pressure, in the form of Gasters twisting his tendril of a tongue, against your swollen clit. It only took a few flicks of his tongue before you came so hard you saw stars, thanks to the most extensive, intense foreplay, ever. He wasn't anywhere near done with you, of course, because even as you were still in this haze, light-headed from the orgasm and the blood loss, he never stopped the movements of his tongue.

You were shaking and quivering, crying out his name like a prayer, this wasn’t wild, this wasn’t sloppy, this was precise, this was _electrifying_. Every moment of his tongue was perfectly calculated because every movement of his charcoal black limber muscle was exactly where you wanted it. He wasn't sending you that heroin rush of his sensory heightening hot ecstasy magic with his words anymore, _he sent them straight to your dripping core with his tongue._

Gaster alternated from focusing on your sensitive clit to thrusting his tongue just past the entrance of your slick velvet walls. He would curl his tongue up as it thrusts into your core and used your essence to lube a slicker contact that allowed him to go even deeper into you. You weren't aware of the room anymore, this moment was just him and the overwhelming pleasure of his tongue fucking you with perfect precision. You only noticed briefly this is what he warned you of before you slipped, the feeling of _everything_ was so intense you were losing grip.

_“Gaster~! Yes, yes~! I, -mhn I...ca-n--t_ _..t-h--ink...I--mhn---go--n--in-s~-ah~-nneee.”_

You couldn't scream his name loud enough, saliva dripping from the corner of your mouth, eventually, you couldn't latch on to any words, just moans and cries and mewls that only slightly resemble words. It was the fire in your body, the shaking of every sensation your body was numb and electrified at the same time, you felt like this pleasure was passed just your physical body.

It wasn't ending, it was _constant._

You felt like you were going insane and by the time you figured out you should echo to warn him, you were on the brink of being completely mind blanked. You were ascending to a state of constant orgasm and you cried out your lustful passion loudly, you vaguely felt a cool sensation dripping from the corners of your eyes. That was the last thing you were able to think about, before you were pulled back just after you felt a snap, or heard one, you couldn't tell. 

Your body was still shaking and quivering, and the only thing you could do was open your eyes, you didn't jump when Gaster was above you, because you couldn't move. However, you could feel, as just him wiping away some of your tears sent shocks of comfort through you. He said he would make you lose your mind, and you certainly did, it was over then right? You felt Gaster tap the side of your face lightly, he looked at you clinically, and you wanted to speak, but it just came out as a whimper. You were very confused, _until Gaster spoke_. 

“Ah~ Good, looks like you're perfectly under the trance now dear…”

_‘The what?’_ you could only wonder to yourself.

“You said you trusted me, right? So then, just relax and I'll give you that _'proof'_ you so bravely asked me for. You might as well enjoy yourself as you spend some time being a good... little... _'fuck doll', for your master.”_ Gaster says with a sadistic smirk.

Not that you even would, but you realized you actually couldn't be scared, it only translated to excitement in your body. Your brain seemed to blur the lines between emotion and sensation, emotional feelings became what you felt physically, and what you felt physically became your state of mind. All you could do was moan and pant heavily as you watched Gaster move back, guiding his cock to easily push itself into your eager wet heat. He gripped your thighs, as he shuddered under the pressure of your walls gripping to him, so tight after spending an eternity from orgasming. He made you feel so amazing, you were new and uneasy to this experience, but you weren't afraid _as any sane person probably should be_ , you only wanted to do anything to make him feel like he just made you. 

As Gaster rocked his hips slowly in and out of you, each of his movements brought you back a sliver of your body's earlier state of climax. He looked into your eyes, as he repeatedly thrusts himself into you, his hands were on your hips, your thighs quivering at each of his movements.

_“Ember….y~es Ngh~!”_ Gaster moaned for you, it was so unfair you couldn't outwardly tell him how much you loved to hear him, but your cries and moans of pleasure as he fucked you may have implied it.

_“Fuck yes_ I love the sound of you screaming for me, the feeling of you tightening around me, _yess~nh mhn~my mindless fuck doll~_ **_you belong to me_**.” Gaster growled possessively, his pace only quickening as he furthered his dirty talk to you.

_“I’m going to enjoy my time using you endlessly, and we do have_ ** _so much time_ **_to indulge ourselves, If I wanted I could make you feel this pleasure for hours. Let’s find how long we'll last until our minds are completely overcome with lust,_ **_drown with me,_ _Ember_** _.”_ Gaster spills his vicious, passionate rant as he brutally fucks into you, and you continue your incoherent cries for him. 

Gaster moves his hands down to either side of you on the bed, then dropping down to brace himself on his forearms as he pants and moans, you could tell he was getting close, he too was greatly affected by so much foreplay. He buried his head in the crook of your neck, his words started to borderline more passionate, before becoming a familiar poetic. 

“You belong to me, my love, your blood, your body, your soul, your trust, your voice, I only wish I could hear you...so I would know for sure that this high is real.” Gaster starts ranting passionately, his thrusts were becoming erratic, and you replied by (unknowingly) doing the impossible. You knew what he wanted to hear, not doctor, or master, but his name, and so you impossibly willed yourself out of the strongest magic Gaster could cast over you. 

_“G-as-ter~”_ You choked out his name in a cry, your arm was weak and shaking, but you brought it up to lightly touch his shoulder, and you felt Gaster shudder and shake over you before he moaned out your name too.

_“Ember~ah-Nh~!”_ Gaster moaned into the crook of your neck, breathing heavily before his orgasm crashed into him, his reaction just as intense. 

The hold on your body snapped, and just as all your senses came back, you felt the warm rush of him filling you with his essence and you were hit with another incredibly built orgasm out of nowhere.

_“G-ahMnh!”_ You could feel your voice was sore, and as your body shook with the endless aftershocks, Gaster pulled you close against him.

He had his left-hand move under your head to cradle you as he still softly thrusted his hips and gave his last few breathy moans as he helped the two of you ride out your orgasms. As he gently pulled out of you he still held your close, as the two of you tried to catch your respective breaths, you were the first to speak. 

“Gaster, are you okay?” You ask him worriedly, his shoulders start to shake, when he pulls back from your shoulder to hover over you slightly, he has a fist covering his mouth and you realize _he’s laughing_. He looks down at you, the lights in his eyes a familiar, calm white with a barely lucid, but an amused expression. 

“Dear, I think I should be the one _asking you that.”_ Gaster says, bringing down his right hand from his face, to push a rogue strand of hair away from your face and behind your ear.

“What do you mean?” You ask sweetly. 

“While you were in a trance, _that you weren't supposed to be able to break,_ I was also keeping your betrayal lines in stasis. No normal being should be able to break that, I even took an extra precaution, your soul in suspension should have been able to stop you from useing the betrayal lines. Yet you said my name, and moved your arm.” Gaster says, looking at you like you were truly a rare precious gem.

“Maybe...but I think you were _distracted_ towards the end there….” You say sheepishly, and Gaster softly smiled. 

“Maybe so, but it's dangerous for you to use the amount of power it took to even slightly break from that so…. _you can't do that next time.”_ Gaster says, seemingly memorizing your healed tattoo as his fingers trace over it lovingly. 

“Oh.. _so there’s a next time?”_ You say playfully smirking up at him, he freezes his movements, noticing his forceful assumption in his previous statement, but you can't help but giggle at his reaction. 

You bring your left hand up to lovingly hold the hand he admired your tattoo with, he looks from your hand, to your eyes. 

“Gaster, do you believe me _now?”_ You look up at him, with a compassionate look on your face. 

_“Believe?”_ Gaster echos back to you, questioningly.

“Do you finally believe me when I say that, there is nothing you can do to scare me off? That you're not going to hurt me in any way I don't want you to? Most importantly, do you believe me when I say that you are **_not_** what that book tries to say you are?” You say bringing his hand up to rest on your tattoo, Gaster seems to melt, or maybe it was the grey tears that started to run down his face. 

You bring up your right hand to his face, and like he had done for you many times before, you wiped away the few tears that seemed to escape, and you shared this quiet moment before he spoke.

“You truly do love me, don't you? Even after what I-” Gaster started to say, as if he was realizing the reality of this all for the first time, others may have been upset to think their soulmate thought you were lying or faking or just too naive. 

You knew better, for Gaster, someone who spent eons in nothingness, it must be difficult to believe anything is real and you didn't mind reminding him constantly. So before he could continue down his spiral of self hate you interjected him mid-sentence. 

“Yes Gaster, even after _everything_ , **you're still you** and I love you...and I'll tell you over and over [ again ](https://youtu.be/lUFUwz4hhEs) if I have to.” You started to tear up too, you knew it was ridiculous to ask, but you felt the need to ask him at this moment.

_“Gaster?”_ You question softly.

_“Yes, my eternal flame?”_ Gaster says in a matching tone, he seemed to hang off your every breath. 

_“Can you kiss me?”_ You say in an odd moment of innocence.

_“Yes, my dear.”_ Gaster says with a passionate, tender expression as he leaned in to kiss you gently. 

There were very few moments in life where you could convey so much with such little conversation, but you two had both discussed something in seconds under the guise of this kiss. You had asked him to stop hating who he was, or at least stop trying to scare you off with it to start, and he had seen how you weren't going to back down. The gentle kiss against your lips was warm and pure and it was a comment on how he knew you had seen the worst of him, and he reminded you just how precious to him you were. 

You kissed him back as if to say, whatever happens, no matter what either of you ends up doing, there will always be the understanding that you'll do it together. His lips on yours silently agreed.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Again", the title of this chapter, a flyleaf song and the question you all asked when you saw this updated so soon. (don't worry actual plot is happening in the next updates xD ) 
> 
> For those who could not use https://lingojam.com/W-D-Gaster to translate, the coded text says 
> 
> (“lions, Ember...You have to stop this stubborn unwavering trust, you're going to get yourself killed!”)
> 
> “Your brain is broken? Have you tried turning it off, then back on again?"
> 
> Small reminder manic episodes can last weeks or even months, hopefully, the 'mind fuck' 'reset' things lol.
> 
> Anyway, sex isn't always perfect, there are so many awkward moments of hesitation, I tried to show that kinda in this chapter. I mean usually, normal people don't have to deal with -this exact- situation, at least I hope not. IF YOU OR A LOVE ONE HAS ENCOUNTERED AN INCUBUS YOU MAY BE INTITLED TO COMPENSATION *gets hit with a book*
> 
> I edited not a single sentence, for all I know I could have just copy and paste the declaration of independence. Anyway, y'all can all take a deep breath now, the first angst wave is actually behind us like I thought it would be back at chapter 14 LOL
> 
> If you see a mistake, I promise you I have seen it and I am currently crying about it. 
> 
> Tumbler (https://somewhere-between-red-and-orange.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Please give me the comments, I thrive off of validation and I crave it for good o'lde serotonin thank you, love you all so much <3 (now u gotta say it back hah gottem)


	19. Technicolour Beat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Asgore, I won't do this.” Gaster said hesitantly, he had to be careful as Asgore did have the ability to make your life or the life of your friends' hell. 
> 
> “As the king of all monsters I have to decide if the inconvenience of a few is worth the peace of many, I thought you of all people would understand that, Dr. Gaster.” Asgore says strongly with a sigh, he takes a deep breath to collect himself before finishing the conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, after posting that smut chapter randomly early 7 days ago, I wrote this almost 16,000-word chapter, I realized this all had to be posted in one go as it better ended with the last of 'Wednesday' in the story. There wasn't enough material to make a second chapter so you get one big long chapter instead. I think ill be back to two chapter updates next time though <3 I have been waiting for this reveal for a long time, as I initially thought I should bring it up later, I realized it would flow better if mentioned now. This is a big train you're going to be hit with, out of nowhere, and since there was so much smut in the last few updates, there is plenty of wonderful heart-melting fluff in this chapter <3 Here is the song the chapter is named after if you wish to listen to it beforehand <3 ( https://youtu.be/E7UOcXTJxQI )
> 
> Anyway~ you ready? Let's get to the BIG AS BOMBSHELL.....oh, and the fluff<3
> 
> -🔥

It goes without saying that you and Gaster had to take a shower after your earlier activities, which had somehow lasted _three and a half hours._ It was around 8:45 pm when you and he had showered and went downstairs to eat. You [changed](https://imgur.com/a/sYXgd8g) into a comfy sweater and leggings, you hadn't checked your phone, but you did bring it downstairs with you. So, while you and Gaster were finishing up the stupidly delicious stir-fry he made, he poured you another glass of red dessert wine, and he had his usual glass of bourbon. You would both need the alcohol to handle what the two of you would have to do, so you both took your respective drinks with you as you went to sit down on the couch in the main [foyer](https://imgur.com/a/QooSOfz). 

Holding your phone in one hand and your glass in your other, and Gaster doing exactly the same, you looked at each other a bit on edge. You both had decided to leave your phones on ‘do-not-disturb’ mode all day, you didn't need to use it for anything but the time, as you had settled your plans with Adelya and Haru earlier before you left the house this morning. Now, however, the news of your bond had to have gotten to enough people to reach another member of the royal family and they would all no doubt be trying to contact you both soon for an explanation. 

So, with a deep breath, the two of you gave a single nod, before switching your phones back, and they immediately started blowing up. Well not literally, just pinging with notifications and vibrating with texts non-stop. You couldn't even click to see any of them on your phone, because they just wouldn't stop, so you gave up and just set it down on one of the mirrored-octagon coffee tables. 

“Well shit...I’m just gonna...give _that_ a few minutes to catch up.” You say with a few giggles, the constant pings started to glitch out, it was certainly ridiculous, and you took a sip of your wine looking at it. 

Gaster's phone, however, was on a _whole different level of ridiculous_. it seemed to be switching between two different operating systems constantly, and it was blowing up just as much as your phone. Eventually, he did exactly what you did, setting his phone face down next to yours on the coffee table, the two of you took a sip from your drinks at the same time, and brought them down from your lips simultaneously as well. Your glitching phones and that mirrored moment was so silly you laughed again.

“Not even gonna make a comment?” You say with a smirk, Gaster looked over to you with a look that said this was not the first time his phone has been this busy, and his reply confirmed that.

“I've learned it's better to just worry about the messages as I read them, this is a good thing anyway.” Gaster says with a sigh.

“How is the royal family berating our phones with missed calls and texts a good thing?” You say raising an eyebrow at him curiously. 

“If they only had one thing to say in response, it would most likely not be something positive.” Gaster says as he moves a bit closer to you on the couch, resting his arm behind you on the couch cushion, which you found cute. 

You nod in understanding as you started to fluster, because you knew if he wanted to put his arm over your shoulder he would, he was simply just trying to make himself comfortable. Something inside of you though, thought it was cuter this way, because that meant his idea of ‘getting comfy’ was being closer to you. He was being naturally protective in a way, and it made your heart flutter. It was the little moments like this that you loved to keep to yourself, if you had to explain it to anyone else they just wouldn't see how romantic this simple moment is, it's a ‘you had to be there’ moment for sure. You tried to hide your blush by taking a small sip of your wine, but _of course,_ Gaster noticed. So after taking a sip of his bourbon, he moved his arm down to your shoulder and lightly pulled you closer so you were leaning against him. 

“W-Wa-...y-you know you're just…. _too damn smooth_ for your own good, was I _that_ obvious?” You mumble stubbornly, your face _even more_ flushed now because he could tell your mind was flustering over his initially innocent intentions. 

“I could feel the longing in your soul dear, so in other words, _yes_ _you were.”_ He says with a few arid chuckles and you just blushed more, because now this whole moment was even cuter.

He clearly just went along with it to please you but he wouldn't have done this if he didn't want to.

“I find it so endearing that you flustered so easily over something like this Ember.” Gaster starts, you let out a small flustered squeak too distracted to drink, you just hold your glass steady, the stem resting against your lap.

You do however snuggle a bit closer to him, Gaster chuckles lightly again, then leaning down to gently nuzzle the side of your face, he continues speaking in a hushed tone.

_"_ Of course… _...you alone have compelled me to act this way, my flame._ Your reactions are _oh so irresistible to me.”_ He says softly, his words warm against your neck, and he lightly nips at your earlobe playfully, you let out a soft content sigh before he shows you some mercy, and retreats to sit up again.

“I-It’s so not fair…” You say looking up and to your right at him and his smugly amused smirk, your stubborn expression melts into a curious one, “You really are good with words ya know...do you have a Ph.D. in literature or poetry that I don't know about?” Your genuine curiosity was clear in your voice as you asked.

You were pleasantly surprised when Gaster started to blush grey, and it was his turn to take a sip of his bourbon, pretending to not have a care that he so obviously did at your question.

“No dear, for that I do not. I do read a lot, however, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” He says, referring to the giant shelf of books in the [hallway of the second floor](https://imgur.com/a/x83e4gV), just outside the bedroom. 

Gaster looks straight ahead of him as he takes a sip out of his glass of bourbon, his voice would seem normal to anyone else but you could tell, and there was no way you weren't going to have a little fun with this.

“Yes, I’ve seen the _impractically tall_ bookshelf, but I guess you don't need a ladder since you could just have a hand grab a book, you know I didn't look closely at what kind of books you read? Now I'm interested though….” You say, hoping he would take the bait, and lucky for you he does. 

“And why is that?” Gaster looks at you suspiciously, you realized he knew you were going to light-heartedly tease him, he just didn't know how. 

“Well my _Romeo,_ I just want to see if there are any specific authors that inspired your extremely romantic, sweet, and brilliantly poetic words that you spoil me with.” You say with a smirk, he was clearly caught off guard by your pet name and wouldn't look at you. 

He was trying to find something to say back, you should have known Gaster reacted to compliments this way, he looked his most proud when you said good things about his cooking. You would have complimented him more, because his cooking really was exceptional, but usually, you didn't want to embarrass or overwhelm him with affection. Right now though? You were feeling mischievous, so right when he seemed to find something to say back... you spoke before he could.

“You know, I love the things you say to me _when we're alone and you're lost in your thoughts_ , I think you're _amazingly_ romantic Gaster, I'm so lucky to have a soul mate that has such natural talent for poetry.” You say sweetly, an underlying tone of teasefull seduction as you watch his face turn deeper grey, you take a victorious sip of your wine it tasted like a sweet, playful, light-hearted payback.

For all the times he's made you speechless in both innocent ways like this, and not-so-innocent ways, it was nice to have this kind of effect on him. Gaster sets his glass down and briefly, clears his throat in an attempt to gain his composure, he shakes his head. You thought you’d finally won a round of teasing... _you thought wrong though._

“You inspire me, dear, only you have ever given me a reason to speak that way, there is already a soliloquy written in my mind if ever I’m against any doubtful spectators, my flame.” Gaster says vaguely, and it was your turn to take the bait to a test you didn't see coming, you're blushing again but you're too curious to stay silent, so you sigh and set down your glass. 

You know he was bound to say something to tease you, you just didn't know how, but you were too curious not to ask, yet before you could, he spoke to ask you a question instead.

“Would you like to hear it?” Gaster asks you casually, clearly seeing your interest.

You felt so caught off guard, you thought you could fluster him but all he did was take it as a challenge, clearly. So he did like poetry, did he realize just how beautifully emotional he was being in those moments then? If so, how long has he been hiding that amazingly sweet side? You found it almost a crime he never wrote down any poetry before, or that no one else knows of his talent, he said you inspired him but you had a hard time believing you had anything to do with it. 

“O-Oh? That's really sweet of you Gaster...um yes, I mean if you're willing to share it with me that is, I'd love to hear it.” You say sheepishly, you thought he was going to tease you, not cause you to somehow fall deeper in love. 

Gaster moves to gently pull you up to sit sideways on his lap, like you had been this morning at his desk, with your legs resting on the couch. His left arm was braced at your back and his right hand lovingly caressed the left side of your face. Then, _(as if this wasn’t already enough to turn you pink)_ with a calm elegance, he effortlessly recited his poetry while looking at you like you were his world. As if he had it memorized…. _as if he was a goddamn fairytale knight in shining armor._

“For me, you are the only true _necessity_. If they ask me why only you, the music and muse of _humanity_ , neither harsh nor grating, doubting my now ability to the power of _reality,_ then I would ask them if they _knew;_ the freedom of the inability to ignite or _subdue_. Freedom for it to be in the hands of _another,_ to this I’d tell them the only version of reality I’d ever need is your warmth _I’m under.”_ Gaster’s natural calm demeanor as he casually speaks is enchanting, his gaze on yours a magnet, his words were better at calming you than even his morphine magic. He continued...

“I have felt a new presence that consumes me now, one with the joy, of elevated thoughts; a sense _sublime_ and of something far more deeply _intertwined._ If they ask me how, I’d say of you, whose dwelling is the light of every ember in every fire, as well as the calming of the crimson ocean that reflects the rich red sky at _sunset;_ You, a miracle that I have been graced to _have met._ In the mind of my entirety; You, the motion and _spirit_ , that compelled me like no other who at a simple thought would _fear it.”_ Gaster says to you, still flawlessly never missing a beat.

The thumb of Gasters left hand that was at your face lightly traces your bottom lip, and your hand goes to your chest, somehow trying to feel how many skips your heart makes that he was easily causing. Even though your eyes started tearing up, you knew Gaster could feel the rush of passion beating in your soul and he knew you weren't upset, but captivated and it was his words that were the cause. His expression wasn’t one of smug or of victory for making you so emotional, however, it was gentle and compassionate and so he continued, his tone more of a hushed sincerity. 

“To all thinking things, all objects of all thought, it's you that _rolls_ through all things for my _souls'_ fractures. Therefore although I am tired and scorned by all else, the spark of ember that meets _oil?_ It keeps me a lover of the meadows and the woods and _soil,_ of mountains; and of all that others behold. I alone am given peace from this green earth; of all the surface, of sight and _sound,_ for both what they created that provided you life; and that they brought you to me - finally _found._ Your reds and oranges of determination and bravery paint my sky’s _passion_ with warmth and light that I _bask in,_ the [technicolor beat](https://youtu.be/E7UOcXTJxQI) of your soul. So my freedom In nature and the language of the senses, that allows me to experience the irresistible _sin_ , with you - the only reality I’d ever need to be grounded _in._ The anchor of my purest thoughts, the guide that pulls me away from my darkest ones, the nurse for when I foolishly get lost _again,_ and soul of all my wanted morals in becoming now and _then.”_ Gaster says, his earnestness professing his sweet words of devotion caused you to forget how to breathe, he wipes a tear that escapes down your cheek, and lightly touches his forehead to yours and the two of you close your eyes as he affirms the last of his poetic devotion. 

“So then, I will tell others this if doubted _, ‘If what's considered right is refusing to give myself to her, then I am blissfully and willfully wrong. For Ember is my eternal flame, that serenaded me, lit the way so I could see, to escape my prior dark reality. My love for her is as endless as the void, the prison in which she saved me from still living in. I had not realized I had willingly been in for so long, my will to stay by her side forever strong. So be it If I am wrong, for every sweet sound she makes with her voice for me, becomes another verse in my soulmate's celestial song.”_ Gaster says his tone just above a whisper, and endlessly passionate. 

When the beautiful quiet moment the two of you had shared had passed, and you knew he had finished speaking, you gently brought your lips to his. These soft sweet kisses you shared with him today were filled with so much meaning, and when he pulled back to look you in your eyes, you did your best to wipe away your tears with the sleeve of your sweater before replying. 

“S-See? I told _you you’re so-”_ you sniffled, wiping your tears away again, you lightly laughed at your blubbering, Gaster knew you were happy but he still seemed concerned at your tears, as his right hand lovingly pets your thigh. 

_"That was_ ...you’re _incredible_ Gaster.” You give a final sniff and rest your hands in your lap before smiling up at him. 

“Ember my words alone will never be able to justify how much you inspire me, but if they make you feel this way, then I would speak them endlessly for you.” He says, and your bottom lip starts to quiver again, but instead of crying you curl up more in his lap, resting the right side of your face against his chest and your left hand gripping to his grey sweater. 

“C-Can we stay like this for a bit? I kinda need this right now…” You say, and Gaster who had moved his arms away slightly when you cuddled close to give you some room, rested his hands back to your body.

“Of course, my dear.” Gaster says, his left hand was settled gently at your head, he used his fingers to lightly comb through your hair, his right hand holding the thigh of your left leg as you were curled up on his lap and his thumb slightly moved back and forth to comfort you more. 

“We seem to have quite the balanced dynamic, Ember.” Gaster says softly, as he continues his calming movements.

You stayed snuggled against him, his chest warm and his sweater plush and cozy you continued his small talk. 

“Yeah, I think so too, but in which way were you thinking?” You ask, you were a little sleepy and still cuddling but you were awake and happy to have such a simple conversation. 

“In public, you seem at ease when you speak and have no problem doing so, yet you're most at peace with me when you don't have to. I however find that in public, less is more, or more so I do not like to hold any social conversation. Yet when I’m around you, not only can I comfortably speak, I feel more freedom when I do, it is peaceful.” Gaster says, his voice arid, clearly deep in thought, you hum in agreement, helping him summarise his thoughts, you respond. 

“Yeah I see what you’re saying...it's like, usually in public you're quiet and I'm talkative, but that's only ‘cause we are stressed and so when it's just us its the opposite because we’re relaxed?” You tilt your head up a bit, but you're lazy and snuggling so you can't see his expression, it was more of an added gesture to your question.

You can feel that he nodded his head, and he was going to speak, until the two of you heard the doorbell, and you froze. You wouldn't have panicked, you may have even assumed it was just girl scouts selling cookies or something, but the panic in your soul you felt from Gaster told you he knew exactly who was at the door. So, regrettably, you sat up and nervously looked at Gaster, who sighed, he brought his left hand to your face to keep you stated as he spoke. 

“That would be the king and queen, I can feel their presence, which means they know we are both here.” He says, a sympathetic look on his face as he helps you move from his lap, back to next to him on the couch.

“With all the places to sit in this house, we shouldn't have sat in the main hall.” You groan, and Gaster chuckles and looks at you, a bit calmer than before.

“It's true there are few monsters that can see human souls without confrontations, but I assure you the king and queen would have known we were here no matter where In the house we were…” Gaster says as he lovingly fixes your hair.

“Oh…” Your mind finally had time to catch up with the situation, “ _ohmygod_ the king and queen... Gaster, _you have to distract them!”_ You panic as you quickly grab your phone and stand up from the couch, Gaster seems confused at your sudden intense reaction.

“Dear we knew they would want to talk soon, I know you have yet to meet them, but I can assure you Asgore won't misbehave around the queen, and I-” Gaster started to try and soothe your worries of their reactions, but you cut him off.

“N-No, Gaster I’m not worried about what they're going to say, I’m worried because _I’m dressed in lazy clothes!_ So, you gotta stall them while I go change for like, _the fourth time today!”_ You say nervously and a bit exhausted.

Gaster's previous worry calmed down and you could see the tension leave his shoulders as he gave you a small amused smile.

“Dear, if that’s your worry, then be calm, you look beautiful in ever-” Gaster starts to say with an amused expression as stands up, but you cut him off again.

“I'm only ever going to meet them for the first time once Gaster, _please just stall them for a few minutes?”_ You say giving him ‘sad puppy dog eyes’ holding your phone to your chest, Gaster just hums as if he was a parent deciding if you could go to a party. 

“Fine, I will endure dealing with them both for a moment, but please do try to-” Gaster couldn't finish his sentence as you were already running for the room in your panic, forgetting he could have just teleported you upstairs.

_“Thanks I’ll be down soon!”_ You yell as you take off down the hallway to the stairs, you could feel the joy bubble in your soul, he was totally entertained at your unexpected light-hearted panic over your appearance.

* * *

Just as you made it to the room (panting because running upstairs is rough) you could feel the swirling anxiety from Gaster’s soul back in yours, you felt bad you left him there but there was no way you were going to meet the king and queen in _leggings_. You zipped around the room frantically trying to get ready as quickly as possible, you couldn't wear anything too nice sadly, they would take too much time putting on. Whether it was clothes that required accessorizing or dresses with zippers that you couldn’t zip yourself, you tore through your side of the closet trying to maybe find a slip-on dress. 

Sadly, the only slip dresses you could see in your closet covered your shoulder, and you didn't want to do that. You didn't want to overly flaunt your tattoo or anything, but you didn't want to cover it up either, especially since Gaster had healed it so flawlessly. Instead of wasting more time looking for a dress, you found a [ simple top and classy skirt, ](https://imgur.com/a/1Ta8uUt) that was grey to match the sweater Gaster was wearing. You were frustrated you couldn't find a dress, but from far away your outfit kinda looked like one anyway. It blended together perfectly so much so that it looked like a dress, you don't know why you were so set on thinking a dress meant classy, but you were just happy to find something fitting in a short time.

You felt Gaster was definitely irritated, so you quickly ran a brush through your hair to fluff it up, silently thanking the universe that you dried your hair after the shower you and Gaster took earlier, before dinner. You slipped on a pair of grey flats, quickly put on some lipstick, then grabbing your phone you rushed your way out of the room, and started walking down the stairs to the first floor. 

_(“Hang in there I’m walking down now, sorry!”)_ You echo to him nervously.

_(“You're fine dear, we are in the kitchen Toriel brought a pie to bake and wouldn't back down about it.”)_ He says with an exhausted tone, you got to the bottom of the stairs and started making your way to the kitchen. 

_(“Are you telling me you tried to refuse a pie from the queen?”)_ You asked, amused.

_(“One can only eat so much butterscotch-cinnamon pie, before inevitably trying to avoid it entirely.”)_ Gaster says, clearly he has eaten way too much of it in the past. 

_(“That's how I am with ramen now honestly.”)_ You said sympathetically, you were almost to the kitchen. 

_(“It was so ridiculous that it got to the point of me pursuing culinary arts, if not for my interest then to seek any other flavor but butterscotch and cinnamon, I’d honestly prefer to have straight scotch.”)_ Gaster says, and just as you turn the corner to the kitchen, you giggled at his comment, forgetting for just a moment that walking into the room laughing probably isn't the most normal thing. 

* * *

Gaster could handle the fawning from the queen, and the ‘well I’ll be damned’ from the king, _but not another stars-forsaken butterscotch-cinnamon pie._ The king and queen bounced questions back and forth constantly while he walked them to the kitchen, Toriel refusing to go anywhere else until she had put the pie in the oven. 

“We took the liberty of finding out who she is by ourselves, since you refused to answer your phone’s, we had no choice but to come over, you know.” Asgore says to him, and Gaster kept his shoulders back, his hands folded behind his back, before addressing the king. 

“I do not see why my personal life needs an audience with you, surely you're not suggesting I’d need your permission, King Asgore.” Gaster says, his tone an underlying warning, before he spoke to the king in his mind. 

_(“She is who you suspect, she won't be used for what you wish. Things have changed and I stand firm on not needing your permission to decide that.”)_ Gaster says to Asgore, he may be treating him with respect, but his statement was still quite rude, considering who he was talking to. 

Gaster could tell Asgore seemed upset, but it seemed he wasn't willing to challenge him on it in front of Toriel, so he spoke out loud instead. 

“Of course you don't need my permission Dr. Gaster, but you must know the media is going to want to get information on the first public royal relationship, especially since they are human. We've had plans in place for Frisk or Asriel should they find someone, we even planned for Sans or Papyrus, but we regrettably never thought of how to approach explaining for you _._ Your unspecified monster type will be questioned again and we had to scramble for a plan but we may have actually found a wonderful way this could help all of us.” Asgore says, Gaster knew you were his student, and that was scandalous in the eyes of humans, your sudden bond would be rather hard to prove to them or even to monsters that yours and his relationship wasn’t something political. 

He was more concerned as to what Asgore was referring to when he said _‘this could help all of us‘,_ as he begged the stars that he would not ask you and him for a war. Of course, Gaster already thought this through, so had you to some extent, your tattoo was _your_ answer to that, put simply. 

“Dreemurr I’m disappointed in you.” Toriel says with a stern expression, setting the pie down on the counter, and preparing the oven. 

“Why, Tori what have I done wrong? We should be concerned humans may think we are bribing that girl into a political statement, or even our own kind may see this as acceptance of the current unequal treatment if they think their relationship is flimsy. Even so, they could be the solution that we’ve needed Tori, we both agree with the idea we had discussed for peace. We need to set the plan in place now as it's the only way to settle the dust that this news will kick up over time.” Asgore says calmly and sternly, yet never raising his voice.

Gaster knew of his concern, but he was confused as to how using you for war was a peaceful solution. He had his own simple solution, to not care. While they bickered, you had just told him you were on your way downstairs. 

_(“You're fine dear, we are in the kitchen Toriel brought a pie to bake and wouldn't back down about it.”)_ He says exhausted and watched as Toriel spoke to reprimanded Asgore.

“That isn't something we can just spring on her, honestly Asgore. Besides, I’m not talking about that Dreemurr, I’m _disappointed_ because we've been here all of 15 minutes and you've only spoken of the politics of this all and you have not once told Gaster how happy you are that he’s found someone to spend the rest of his life with.” Toriel sighs, moving to open the oven to put in the pie, Asgore a bit lost for words at his ex-wife's words of judgment.

_(“Are you telling me you tried to refuse a pie from the queen?”)_ You asked, amused.

_(“One can only eat so much butterscotch-cinnamon pie, before inevitably trying to avoid it entirely.”)_ Gaster says, and he thinks back on your comment about dinner parties, someone always did manage to fight like this, Toriel continued to speak. 

“Maybe I shouldn't expect _someone like you_ to understand what it means to be bonded to another, but you are going to be a proper, kind and just king tonight or so help me- that poor girl is probably overwhelmed enough seeing as she had to rush to get changed so last minute.” She says, and Gaster looked at her confused, all he said was that you were upstairs and that you would be down soon, he didn’t remember mentioning you were changing your clothes, how did she know? 

Toriel was a smart woman, and when she looked back at Gaster she briefly giggled before replying. 

“Gaster, human or monster she is a woman, who was suddenly surprised by a visit from royalty, even though none of us are truly concerned about it, of course, it is not unusual she wished to look her best.” Toriel says with a knowing smile.

_(“That's how I am with ramen now honestly.”)_ You said sympathetically, he could tell you were almost to the kitchen, and the king and queen sensed you as well, they seemed to pause their movements, you were still far enough for him to make a comment though.

“Yes but, even so, I think she is beautiful in anything she chooses to wear.” Gaster says, more to himself than the queen, he sighs and leans against the counter.

As Gaster waited for you to walk in the room he responded to you, unaware of the pleasantly surprised look that the king and queen exchanged at his comment of you.

_(“It was so ridiculous that it got to the point of me pursuing culinary arts, if not for my interest then to seek any other flavors besides cinnamon and butterscotch, I’d honestly prefer to have straight scotch.”)_ Gaster says, just as you turned the corner into the kitchen, you giggled at his comment, and his body seemed to relax.

You looked beautiful in anything truly, what a wonderful way for you to prove the comment he had just made, but your hair was covering your tattoo, he would fix it for you.

* * *

Gaster was leaning against the counter, the tension in his shoulders seemed to relax when he saw you. _Well at least one of you was calm,_ thanks to your unusual entrance, the king and queen were already looking your way. Or maybe it's your bright soul that's the cause, either way, you were frozen like a deer in the headlights as you saw two tall goat monsters standing in the kitchen. King Asgore had a glass of wine in his hand, and Queen Toriel who was checking on the pie, shut the oven door to look up at you, you would have panicked more but you heard something vaguely hum through your mind. It was muffled, but you could recognize the melody of your mantra anywhere, and when you felt Gaster send you a dose of calming magic your shoulders relaxed too. You looked back at him, and his expression was mostly calm, but you could tell he was worried about you. 

“T-Thanks, Gaster.” You say with a soft smile, he had been echoing the melody of your mantra song through your head, reminding you that you were plenty brave and determined enough to make a good impression on the king and queen. 

“Of course, come here dear I’ll introduce you properly.” Gaster says formally, and you blush, the king looked skeptical and so you avoided his eye contact completely, however, the queen was looking at you like you were...adorable? 

“Oh, um right.” You say with a nod and you take a deep breath, and with the fakest of grace, you walked over to Gaster, knowing full well only he could tell you were still very much nervous.

When you got to Gasters side, you stood directly to the right of him and started to collect your thoughts. You didn't stop being nervous until Gaster had replaced your nerves with flustered butterflies because you were not expecting him to pull you close in front of him. You were only barely able to hold back a surprised squeak as Gaster held you with your back against his chest, his arms around you, crossed at your hips in an odd possessive manner. You looked up at him, your face surely visually pink, at this point, you heard a gasp from the queen and you swear you almost died of dizzying embarrassment. 

_(“Gaster what the heck?”)_ You echoed to him, but he only responded out loud.

“Sorry Ember dear, I had to show them I wasn’t somehow faking our bond, you know first hand how as an incubus I can make someone imagine things if I wanted.” Gaster says so casually you instinctually started responding casually. 

“Oh, okay yeah that’s true…” You trail off before freezing up again, oh god he totally just implied he made you fantasize things and sure they could be taking that innocently but the giggles from Toriel and the wide eyes from Asgore tell you they definitely did not.

Nothing in the world could stop you from lightly stomping your right foot and turn around to playfully tap his arm, your flustered light-hearted annoyance. 

“G-Gaster! You can’t just say things like that out loud!” You say in hushed intensity, your arms crossed, one hip out in a playful stubborn stance. 

“Sorry dear your right, I’ll stick to privately echoing those things to you from now on.” Gaster says with a smirk, and you click your tongue.

_“Listen here smart-ass,_ can you at least _try_ not to frazzle me in the first few seconds?” Your fake annoyance turns into a smirk, “This is payback for making you wait while I changed, isn't it?” You say and by the end of the sentence you were giggling, you almost forgot the king and queen were in the room. 

“Correct, dear.” Gaster says, looking back to the king and queen, you went wide-eyed remembering they existed, and turned back around sheepishly. 

“King Asgore, Queen Toriel, this is the endlessly Brave and Determined, _Ember._ ” Gaster says politely with what sounds like pride, while he gently moves your hair away from your tattoo, and puts a hand on your right shoulder. 

You didn't even realize how he was flaunting your tattoo, you had been too focused on the queen cooing like you were a new-born baby. Your eyes briefly looked to Asgore who was staring at Gaster, and you could feel that tension, deciding to look back to the queen whose aura seemed way happier. She was the next to speak, 

_“My goodness!_ She certainly is beautiful, it's so wonderful to see that Gaster finally found someone who properly recognizes his brilliance, let alone a _romantic_ someone!” Toriel says, as if Gaster was her child, it was actually really refreshing to hear someone else knew Gaster just needed the right person to understand him but you were still turning red at her compliment. 

She calmly walks around the kitchen island and as she passes Asgore she glares at him while saying her next comment.

“We are so delighted to meet you Ember, pay no mind to the king’s silence, he is only just wary of someone as bright as you, dear.” Toriel says and you briefly wonder if Gaster would allow you to take a few steps towards her.

Gaster moves to the left of you, effectively allowing you to approach Toriel while also cutting Asgore off from your line of sight. You take a small step towards her, and Gaster commented looking at you briefly. 

“Yes dear, you’re naturally very good at leaving people speechless.” Gaster says to you warmly, and yet, just like earlier, you understand there was more meaning to his sentence than just that. 

Asgore wasn't going to say anything around Toriel, It was clear Gaster was going to have to talk with Asgore in private. You would need to continue a one-on-one conversation with the queen while he did so, at least Gaster seemed to trust Toriel, or else he wouldn't have let her approach you. Asgore clears his throat to imply he would like to speak, and Toriel steps to the side so you can once again see the king. 

“I apologize Ember, if I’ve made you nervous, it was not my intention.” Asgore says and you look to Toriel, then to Gaster then back to the king. 

“O-Oh, it's fine really, I’m alright...it's really nice to meet you both, really it's an honor...should I curtsey or something? I don't want to be rude...” You say, you and Gaster did not have the time to talk about how you should physically respond to meeting the king and queen.

Toriel and Asgore both giggle, and even though it was clearly directed towards you to say _‘no you don't have to curtsey’_ you were just relieved at their laughter working to lighten the mood of the room then embarrassed. The king shook his head lightly before replying. 

“That won't be necessary, bowing is simply a formality saved only for formal events nowadays. The sentiment is appreciated though, Ember, thank you.” The king says with a dip of his head, and you nod in return. 

“Oh, okay then, good to know...” You smile politely, your demeanor more relaxed, Gaster seemed pleased that the two of you were handling this well, and that the king and queen were blissfully civil. 

“Dear, I have a pie in the oven, would you like to sit and talk over tea until it is ready? I think Gaster and the anxious fluff ball..” Toriel starts, looking over at Asgore, “..wish to discuss how we shall approach things regarding the media, it's too late for me to involve myself in rather exhausting politics. Would you keep me company here in the kitchen, surely we could find more exciting things to discuss?” She says sweetly to you, it's funny her demeanor was like a bubbly motherly version of Gaster's cool, calm, and collected refined way of talking. 

It was a passive-aggressive way of saying _‘the media is going to be all over this let Asgore and Gaster sort out the details that will be needed to take care of this in the least obnoxious way possible, while I get to know you, who just suddenly became a new member to the family’_. You look to Gaster and he gives you a faint nod of approval, his movement so gentle you're sure it was unrecognizable to the king or queen. You did have a few questions you figured the queen could answer, and clearly, Gaster had to talk to Asgore alone, so you nod and reply to Toriel politely. 

“Right, that sounds great actually, I’d love some tea, it's been a really crazy day and way too late for talking about stressful stuff.” You smile politely to Toriel, but give a sympathetic look to Gaster, who was the next to speak. 

“Yes dear, myself and the king will handle this,” Gaster says, and as Toriel walks to the counter to set up the tea kettle, he lightly sighs and walks up to you. 

Gently putting his right hand against your face in a tender motion, you look up at him and seem to get lost in his eyes again, these moments never failed to make you feel like the two of you were alone on a whole different planet. 

“You’ll be on your best behavior for me, won't you?” He smirks, and you almost sass him back with a reply, but he leans down to lightly kiss your forehead, and you melt. 

You were all too willing to let him off the hook for any teasing tonight, your heart still fluttering with memories of just a few moments ago when you were on his lap on the couch, and he poured his emotions out into those beautiful poetic words. So although flustered, you obediently nod to respond, words escaping you with his affectionate gesture. 

“Good then, I’ll be back soon.” Gaster says, lightly trailing his hand under your chin before bringing his hands behind his back to walk back over to the king. 

The two of them walked down the hall, and in the direction towards the front door. When they walked out of view, you had to fight the urge to let out a long nervous sigh, but Toriel certainly didn't. You heard a long sigh from her, before she spoke. 

“Well _thank goodness,_ I’m glad he’s _finally settled.”_ She says, and you look at her questioningly, she ushers you closer, an oven mitt on her hand.

You walk up to her, and take a seat on one of the island chairs as Toriel grabs two teacups from the basket she must have brought the pie in as well. She pours tea for both you and her from the chrome [kettle on the stove](https://imgur.com/a/6gkFbq7) while she elaborates. 

“Well dear, after we heard the news from Alphys, who heard it from Undyne who heard it from- well _it doesn't matter how,_ but Asgore was restless and eager about our idea to.... _well anyway_ I was shocked to hear the news too of course, but unlike the others, I don't think it's such an unbelievable thing that Gaster was bonded. He is guarded, not stone-cold, _as I’m sure you know.”_ She says with a soft smile, taking a sip of her tea and you nod before responding.

“I think a lot of people misunderstand a lot of his reasons for doing things, everyone sees him as cold or cruel as if he doesn't have emotions...himself included.” You say with a huff, and Toriel nodded in agreement. 

“Yes, it is rather ridiculous considering how hard he works, at least to me, it is heartbreaking that he…” She trails off, and you finish her sentence. 

“He hates himself so much?” You say solemnly, and she quietly nods, “It really is awful...and not fair considering...” You look down at your teacup, and it was Toriel’s turn to finish your sentence.

“Considering what he’s been through?” She says softly, lightly placing a soft paw on your hand, you had not realized you were crying.

“S-sorry,” You say looking up at her and wiping your tears away, “this, uh just happens sometimes,” you say referring to your tears, Toriel raises an eyebrow at you innocently.

“I cry for no reason a lot, hah...I’m actually kind of relieved though, to be honest.” You smile at her, “that there was at least one other person in his life that could see it…” You stifled the last of your blubbering and took a sip of tea, it was sweet and floral but you didn't really recognize what flower. 

“I am relieved as well dear, he...was not doing well,” Toriel says looking down for a moment before adding, “Oh, but now? My dear when he spoke earlier before you walked in I've never heard him be so…” she trails off, and you try to suggest.

“...Calm?” You try, but she shakes her head.

“No dear, he's always calm, I was going to say, so _...cheesy!”_ She giggled, and you think back on what Gaster has said earlier, it was true he never talked much around others unless he was giving a lecture, but what had he said around her that was cheesy? You were too curious.

“I’m happy he said something nice about me, and I definitely will have to ask what, but first um you said ‘he’s always calm’ did you just mean like, outwardly?” You ask, you had realized with all the change and chaos, you don't really know how he acted when nothing drastic was happening.

What was Gaster like when he had free days? What was his normal demeanor around those he trusted? He said he liked to read, and you know he likes cooking and wine and spends his time on teaching and grading but what about the small stuff? Did he like to watch movies? There were certainly enough Tv’s around the house, but you've never seen him turn on a single one. He was the first one to ask you to the creek, but did he used to visit the creek on his own regularly? You could see he loved the stars as much as you did when the two of you sat on the bench waiting for Sans last night. There had certainly not been enough time for you to find this all out, your soul knew you loved him endlessly, but your mind didn't know things others believed you should before falling in love. You didn't care about others' opinions though, your relationship with Gaster was different and situational for sure. The two of you would have the rest of your lives to find those small things out about each other so, for now, Toriel could help you get to know these odds and ends of Gaster’s life before you.

“Well yes, I assume you’re referring to his constant need to be overly analytical in his decisions. He is not the type to act on impulse dear, it's why we were so confused, I hope you don't mind but we did some research on you, um, Ember.” She says, and you look at her nervously, she knew you and Gaster had not been together before you got to MEU. 

“Oh, um...okay I figured you guys might’ve done something like that...if you could stick to only calling me Ember, I’d appreciate it. I know you have been doing so already but...soon I'm going to have to tell _them_ , and I have a feeling I'm going to have to... Well, it's best I distance myself from my old name anyway.” You say, refusing to look her in the eye, and taking a sip of your tea.

“My goodness, how interesting.” She says, with a fascinated tone.

“Huh?” You say looking back up to her.

“Sorry dear, I hope you don't mind me saying, it’s just very interesting to see someone with such a bright soul, a determined and brave one at that, have such an unstable wavelength.” She says, and you’re still confused. 

“You can see my soul 'wavelength’?” You ask, and Toriel nods gently, showing you mercy by fully explaining.

“Yes dear, all of the royal family are adept in souls, each of us having our own unique ability in some way, Gaster is the only one in the royal family who can do more than one, in fact, he is capable of all of our combined abilities.” Toriel says and you were way too curious not to ask. 

“Would...would it be okay if you told me who can do what then?” You say, wondering what Sans or even Alphy’s talent is. 

“I suppose that wouldn't be an issue, dear,” She says before the oven beeps, “Ah, the pie is ready, why don't you sit at the table and I’ll tell you over a slice?” Toriel says sweetly, and you nod excitedly, Gaster may be sick of her pies but it smelled really good and you loved desserts.

* * *

Gaster could handle things easier when you were around, he much rather he had this conversation with you here, but Toriel would have to be distracted. Realistically he knew you would be too stressed out to hear this conversation however, it might have been for the best that you were not hearing Asgore and his selfish demands. 

Of course, they weren't the demands he expected, quite the opposite actually….. _very, very opposite_ and _apparently_ Toriel was in charge of telling you, while Asgore was to inform him. The conversation started normal, as Gaster and Asgore talked at the [living room/bar](https://imgur.com/a/R78GQeT) on the second floor. 

“From what you said to me earlier Dr. Gaster I feel it is important to let you know I do not wish to start a war with the human race.” Asgore says as he drinks his white wine, Gaster set down his glass of bourbon he poured for himself, the tension in his body slightly lessening. 

“That is, rather good news since, as you may have already guessed, I will not allow Ember to be in such a situation.” Gaster says giving Asgore a short nod.

“Make no mistake Gaster, if not for a more peaceful, possible solution I and Toriel have had on hold, _I would have made my demands for a war.”_ Asgore says darkly, and Gaster narrowed his eyes, he felt rather challenged but he would hear Asgore’s alternative plan for peace before he spoke his mind. 

“Is that so? Well then my king, let's hear this solution you've come up with.” Gaster says, keeping his calm state as best he could, he knew you would panic if you felt him do so, as you would reasonably assume Asgore demanded war. 

The king cleared his throat, setting his wine glass on the bartop, Asgore spoke calmly.

“As you know the treatment of monsters and their rights are nowhere near equal enough and as we have worked tirelessly to peacefully try and obtain these equal rights for monsters, we have also realized that many people in your similar position suffer as well. I’m referring namely to humans who are in a relationship with a monster, they have certainly had experience in even worse discrimination. The separation of our kind and the human race, the unjust ways we are treated can be brought to an end if we were united. Just as Frisk initially brought us together with the humans, with love and compassion and peace.” Asgore says, straightening his posture he continues, and Gaster slowly starts to panic the more Asgore spoke. 

“Ideally we could ask a human monster couple to advocate for this, but it is not that simple. Even if we got a couple to cooperate to be in the public eye under such scrutiny humans would not see a random woman relatable, and monsters would not see a regular monster as commendable. As you know, a child between a monster and a human is technically possible but there is a reason none of the attempts have resulted in a successful term. Over the years as I have kept an eye on the various studies we have on it, it became clear to me and Toriel that there weren't any monsters compatible enough with a human to not result in a miscarriage.” Asgore could see the dread on his face, because Gaster could see the anxiety on Asgore's expression, yet he still continued, clearing his throat again nervously. 

“You see that is where you and Ember come in, as an incubus Gaster you are actually one of the only types of monsters capable of transmitting your DNA to an offspring with a human to bear a child. Very few monsters share the humanoid anatomy and makeup as you, we knew you could be successful but we never even dreamed you would be interested in anyone let alone a human. Now, however, with your relationship with Ember, you have an obligation, a duty to serve as a bridge for both monsters and humans. So quite honestly this is the best possible outcome we never even expected, seeing as you are part of the royal family, monsters will respect you endlessly.” Asgore said, and Gaster said nothing, he simply picked up his glass of bourbon, and knocked the whole thing back in one sip, setting it back on the bar. 

Gaster had to physically turn his body away from the king, he couldn't speak what was he supposed to say? The obvious answer was **_NO_ ** of course there was no way he would throw that kind of fork into your life, there was no way he could ask this of you. Then, just at that moment Gaster felt your soul start to panic too, Gaster turned around to address the king, to ask him if Toriel was asking you the same thing but Asgore just continued to speak. 

_“You can't be serious Asgore_ , do you honestly think I would ask that of her? Or even _ever_ do anything to further my species? Incubus are better off finally truly ending with me, I’d never _willingly_...she is too fragile with her betrayal lines, not to mention... _Ember has dreams of her own,_ Asgore.” Gaster said, the king clearly surprised at his panic. 

“Right, from what I hear Ember wishes to be a famous singer, yes? So then by all means let’s do all we can to make her a famous artist, let the humans and monsters everywhere adore her and her music. In the meantime, we showcase her relationship with you, prove you truly serious to more than just the humans, but the hesitant monsters as well. Then when humans and monsters have learned to love her, and your relationship with her, you two can create a child that can connect our races together.” Asgore says, and Gaster really could only find a few words. 

_“Absolutely not.”_ Gaster growled to Asgore.

“I haven't seen you this way in many millennia, Gaster, I would have thought you’d be relieved to hear I'm not forcing you and Ember and _the Cerberus_ I’m sure you can summon now, into war.” Asgore said with a serious tone, that implied to Gaster that was the only other option, Gaster just poured himself another glass of bourbon and Asgore began to speak again.

“A child that _both humans and monsters_ would respect, it could shed much-needed light on our message of unity. Of course, our previous dodging of the question regarding your species type will need to be addressed once you're in the public eye again, since people are bound to get curious. We plan to go with what we told the government to keep them at bay, that you’re monster type is a gargoyle. As we’ve previously discussed, their monster type is far too ancient for anyone to remember, their extinction predates both our lives; as such it should work just fine.” Asgore says optimistically, and Gaster opens his mouth to speak, but with him being in such a panic, Asgore was quicker.

Gaster felt the fluttering of embarrassment in your soul, then more panic.

“If you're worried about telling her this plan there is no need to fret, Toriel is taking care of that now. By the way, Gaster, I’ve told Toriel she was bound to have betrayal lines, offering it as a possibility of why the two of you were brought together. She doesn't believe me as her soul is a bright one, but you can simply inform her of them, that said we already assumed she would need to have her betrayal lines removed so she is healthy before she is with child. So then, while you work on that, in the meantime we will work to further her popularity and showcasing your genuine loving relationship to the public. I understand this plan to be tiring, but so much safer than demanding a war, _wouldn’t you agree Dr. Gaster?”_ Asgore asked Gaster, a warning tone in his voice. 

“Asgore, _I won't do this.”_ Gaster said hesitantly, he had to be careful as Asgore did have the ability to make your life or the life of your friends' hell. 

He couldn't risk putting you under any stress or heartache, he was just barely able to keep your emotions calm and your betrayal lines in suspension with his bond to you. You shouldn't have to handle this kind of pressure, but as he told himself before, he can't just escape with you.

“As the king of all monsters I have to decide if the inconvenience of a few is worth the peace of many, I thought _you of all people_ would understand that, Dr. Gaster.” Asgore says strongly with a sigh, he takes a deep breath to collect himself before finishing the conversation.

“With your impressive ability to self-discipline, and Ember’s bright soul, the child should be one that can easily be managed with you as parents. When Asriel was born it brought our kind together, it is proof this could give all of the monster race hope, which we need very much nowadays. She must first be cured and work on her popularity, she has plenty of time to follow her dreams and you have plenty of time to warm up to the idea. Know this Gaster, If you refuse when the time comes, you will be forcing my hand to continue with _other options.”_ Asgore says, taking his wine glass with him he walks to return downstairs, Gaster takes his entire bottle of bourbon with him as he follows behind the king. 

For once, Gaster wished he would say more, but he couldn't find the words, there were none in any language that could express how overwhelmed, angry, and nervous he was. _Stars_ he just needed to be around you again, he would have calmly walked down the stairs with the king as it would've been the polite thing to do. So of course he teleported immediately to the kitchen, a bottle of bourbon in his hand. The second you made eye contact with him, you immediately got up from your seat at the table and ran to hug him, burying your face into his sweater. Gaster had a summon hand take the bottle from him and set it on the table so he could put his arms around you. 

_(“Are you okay Gaster?”)_ You echoed to ask him quietly. 

_(“No.”)_ He echoed back, replying honestly.

_(“Yeah me neither.”)_ You echoed, you were both clearly anxious.

Toriel gave him a sympathetic look to Gaster, and as he held you close he looked at her as if she had betrayed him.

* * *

When Toriel took the pie out of the oven, you grabbed a plate from the cupboard, and sat at the table with the slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie. She told you of how Ambassador Frisk loved this pie so much, they asked for it for every special event. There was only one thing you could eat endlessly like that, marshmallows, they were a key part of successful campfires after all. As you ate, Toriel started to explain the soul abilities of the royal family. 

“I am able to tell whether a soul is calm or not, by interpreting the motions in your soul's colors, as emotions. Papyrus can recognize the compatibility of one soul to another, for instance, he can tell how close a friendship or relationship is between people. He calls it his ‘friendship or dating meter’.” She giggled and you took your first bite of the pie. 

_“Ohmygod,_ Queen Toriel, this pie is _so freaking good,_ I’m so blessed to be eating this right now.” You said wide-eyed with a big smile. 

“Ember dear I’m glad you like it, but please we are family now, you may address me as Toriel.” She says sweetly.

“Honestly I’m already calling you mom in my mind,” you giggled, “seriously, with this amazing pie and my inevitable disowning from my actual parents, I think you're better qualified.” You said sweetly, your jovial tone a bit out of place since you were talking about a rather deep subject so casually. 

“You wish to call me mom? I don't see the problem with that, so by all means dear, I’d be proud to be your mother figure, Frisk and Asriel would be pleased to have another sibling.” She smiled warmly at you while you were still enjoying your piece of the pie, with your mouth full she continued to speak.

“However dear, before I continue talking about our abilities, would you mind talking to me about your parents?” She says softly, trying her best not to sound pushy, you knew she meant well so you cleared your mouth, and took a sip of tea before responding.

“Um, they wanted me here to make a living doing something else, they never supported my dream to become a music artist, specifically a singer/songwriter. So, when they hear about me dropping out, and Gaster returns the money they lent me for college I’ll have to tell them I’m pursuing my real dream. Not only will they be furious but, me being with a member of the royal family, they...their bigots, they won't approve of me not being with a human. They won't understand, and I plan to cut them off because of it, I have a feeling once I do make a presence in the music world they will just talk to me only for….” You rambled but started to trial off, Toriel looked at you sympathetically before offering her reply of what she could already guess.

“Money?” She says simply, and you nod, “Yes, as Frisk and Asriel grew older, they had their fair share of friends who were only friends for the material benefit. It took them both a lot of growing to recognize the true-hearted from the greedy.” Toriel said with poise, and you sigh, nodding to her.

“I have to tell them before this gets out to the media, so that I can hear their real thoughts, the ones not clouded with desperation.” You were stressed, and panicked as you realized that there really was no way to keep your parents around.

You would only spend the rest of your life wondering if they accepted you and Gaster because they love you and have become better people, or if they simply just wanted to benefit from you and him. You couldn’t live like that, you would have to tell them soon, you figured you could wait till tomorrow when Adelya was with you too. 

“I understand dear, would you like to change the subject? I can continue our subject of soul abilities if you’d rather not dwell on this any longer?” Toriel asks you, and you nod in agreement, you could feel Gaster was getting rather tense, but you tried to keep calm and listen. 

“Alright, then I should mention we all can see HP and EXP as well as LV in a soul, which as you may know from Gaster’s class if not already, are Health points, Execution points, and Level of Violence, yes?” She says, and you nodded. 

Health points were accumulated by getting through hard times and becoming stronger, similar to the saying _‘what doesn't kill you makes you stronger’._ Execution Points were accumulated by murder, not many monsters can see this, but those who can usually work in law enforcement. However, simply seeing that they killed before is not enough evidence to convict in a court of law, similar to how DNA isn't always admissible in court. Exp can increase from things like hunting deer, setting up a mousetrap that ends up killing a mouse, cooking a fish you caught, anything you've killed becomes a number of Exp and so, it's not as solid evidence as you may think. Level of violence was just violence in general, for every person you punched or slapped, or wounding an animal you accidentally hit with your car, you can gain LV from gaining EXP but you don't gain EXP unless you took part in what ends up killing something.

“Good then I don't need to explain, so to elaborate, Sans has a similar ability to mine as he judges that emotion in a way. He can hold that weight of your misdeeds, it allows him to weigh on your soul like gravity, he is naturally very judgmental. From what he has said, you know of that and he does truly regret being so... _nosey_.” Toriel says, clearly apologizing for all the drama Sans had caused, you just nodded in agreement. 

“Yeah we settled that last night, he told me he’d back off and honestly I still want to be his friend, he can just be _nosey.”_ You said with a smirk, using Toriel's more innocent term for Sans behavior. 

“Yes well, he is good at his core,” she smiles softly, “now let's see, as for Undyne she can see the confidence and strength of a soul, in a sense how _‘good you would be in a fight’_ , it was a skill she learned as the captain of the royal guard over time.” Toriel says handing you a napkin as you were almost finished with your piece of the pie. 

“Then the king, Asgore, can do similar, as he can test your strength but in more of a ‘lie detector’ kind of way, he can tell if someone is being truthful or not. A skill he picked up from being rather paranoid, although there are only a few that can fool him still, those with exceptionally strong constitutions. Gaster, myself, and Frisk are the only ones truly capable of keeping secrets from him, though I wonder with your bright soul if you’d be capable of evading him as well. It does come in handy when we try to plan surprise parties for his birthday.” Toriel says with a few giggles.

“That must have helped you a lot when meeting other people of power, as in to see if they were being genuine in their promises?” You say, rather interested in if it has come in handy in that way.

“Yes, but sometimes regardless if they are telling the truth at the time, we've had to accept deals in the hope their minds change and they do stick to their promises. It is part of working to keep the peace as you can imagine.” Toriel says with a sigh, taking a sip of her tea.

“Yeah I can imagine lots of people werent so nice at first…” You trail off, embarrassed by humans for the moment, you could feel Gaster become tenser...you were starting to get concerned.

Toriel continued, a bit quicker as if she could tell you were feeling his emotions.

“Right, well...Asriel can tell when someone has negative intentions, in a way similar to his father, but instead of truth or lie, it's more genuine or malicious. While Frisk can tell exactly what a soul wishes to hear, what they need to feel comforted, in a sense.” She says, and you can't help but be distracted. You had to make a comment.

“S-Sorry if I seem a bit distracted, Gaster seems a little stressed, and I just…” You trail off, almost thinking about going to find him, but Toriel speaks to stop you.

“Yes dear, Asgore is telling him the news that I have been put in charge of telling you.” She says, and you settle in your seat, raising an eyebrow at her curiously. 

“Okay, um what are you supposed to tell me then?” You say hesitantly, what news has got Gaster so upset?

“I’ll tell you by informing you of what Alphys can do,” Toriel starts and you give a small nod to show you were listening, “Alphys can tell if a soul is growing within another soul, almost immediately, she gained this ability with all the experiments she conducted with both human and monsters elements.” She says calmly, but you were confused.

“Like a soul bond? I don't understand, can't all monsters see that?” You asked, and Toriel explained with a different question of her own.

“No dear, it is different. Before I let you know, however, I just want to ask if Gaster is being too rough with you. I can tell by your tattoo that you don’t mind being passionate with him my dear, but I don't want you getting hurt.” Toriel says out of nowhere and your face flushes to what feels like a million degrees.

_Did Toriel just ask you about your sex life with Gaster?_ You knew the tattoo was your silent statement on it but you didn't expect her to just come out and _ask so casually._

”I- I...w-why is? He...Gaster and I are fine in that...regard...I’m okay.” You say frazzled, and drinking your tea you don't look at her you felt you were going to die of embarrassment. 

“Alright then, I just had to make sure, but while we are on the subject, I will tell you that there is something the royal family wants you to consider.” Toriel says, and you blink before looking back up to her, confused, was she going to ask you not to talk about his monster type or something?

“O-Okay, what is it?” You say suspiciously. 

“Well, to clarify, Alphys can tell if someone is pregnant, and that's exactly what the royal family wishes to ask from you.” She starts, and you start to hear the beating of your heart in your ears, as your head starts to spin, all you could do is listen to her speak.

“I know this is quite the heavy request, but you see there is no other monster than Gaster that we can think of, who can actually produce a child with a human, your reproductive systems are similar. Our other attempts of producing a child between humans and monsters have resulted in miscarriages, as I'm sure you've heard humans can get pregnant but no children have ever been confirmed.“ She says, and there are so many things you needed to say.

“I know you're on medications dear, but Gaster can keep your mind healthy with his abilities to calm you, as well as being an actual doctor. We aren't asking this of you now, of course, we wish to help you further your career, so that you may be seen as a beloved human to represent the human race as Gaster will represent monsterkind. I’ve been informed you have betrayal lines, but forgive me, I don't believe it seeing as you have such a bright soul, is this true?” Toriel asks, and your heart calms down only slightly at the fact that she wasn't asking you to get pregnant right away. 

You just nodded to confirm as your head spun more. They wanted to help you be famous? You had to represent all humans, why exactly did you have to have a kid? You had so many questions but you had only one you could ask at this point. You dry swallowed before speaking up. 

“Why?” You ask Toriel, you felt Gaster freak out extensively, you could barely handle your own emotions. 

“Dear, we wish to peacefully bring a healthy connection between humans and monsters, who feel so separate and mistreated, as humans feel wary of us, couples like you and Gaster are discriminated against harshly. It would be just as when Asriel was first born, he brought so much hope and joy to monsterkind, before tragedy struck we had such determination. We had wished to attempt this solution, but with no compatible monsters we thought we would have to give up on this possibly wonderful way of creating harmony.” She put a hand on yours that held onto your teacup tightly.

“We've known of only one monster assuredly compatible with humans, but we never considered Gaster, as we couldn't force him to bond with a human. Now that you two are together, you must understand this is an incredible turn of events, an opportunity for peace and unity, we would never force you but we have to at least try and ask you to consider this path. No matter how we went about this you would regrettably feel pressure, but for once I agreed with Asgore, that we should at least present the idea.” Toriel takes a deep breath and sighs, you could feel Gaster was making his way to you, Toriel then seemed to speak softly with her next few sentences, as she said the last of what she had to say. 

“Ember, this is rather sudden but If we told you this all now, we can advise you that your relationship should not be hidden publicly from the start, which may have lessened your stress at first. Then, we can get the world to see your talent and love you and your music and at the same time we can do that while also having them love the relationship between you and Gaster as his soulmate. Together you could be the influence monsters and humans need to see reason and compromise, to better all of our people.” She says, giving you a sympathetic look. 

You take a deep breath and let go of your teacup just as you feel Gaster and his soul materialize in the archway of the kitchen to the left of you. You immediately shoot out of your chair, it topples over behind you as you run to hug him. Burying your face into his chest, the soft sweater he was wearing blocked your view from anything, you felt his arms tightly fold around you, you just can't look at anyone right now. 

_(“Are you okay Gaster?”)_ You echoed to ask him quietly. 

_(“No.”)_ He echoed back, replying honestly.

_(“Yeah me neither.”)_ You echoed, you were both clearly anxious.

* * *

It was around 11:00 pm, when Asgore arrived in the kitchen, Gaster told them to wait while he teleported you upstairs. At first, you wouldn't let go, but Gaster promised you he would be no longer than five minutes, that he would ask the King and Queen to leave for now and that he would be back no later than those five minutes. You were quiet but you agreed, he settled you to sit on the bed, then he wrapped the comforter around you, giving you a pillow to hold onto until he got back. He kissed you on the forehead, then disappeared, you took this five minutes to think.

You have to tell your parents now, you were done with the drama you were done with the pain, this all had to end at some point, you couldn't take any more insane news, or change. You were not prolonging this any longer, you had to call your parents, so when Gaster got back to the room that's exactly what you were going to do. He was sending you calming magic the entire time he wasn't with you, it had to be hard as he was so upset himself. You wondered if he could have handled himself this well without your blood, you were grateful he took some, he needed the energy and you needed to be kept calm. So then let's look at the bright side of all this.

Bright side; they want to help you become famous, and endorsement from the king and queen is a fast path at getting yourself exposure, virtually all you would have to do is go to a studio and get an audio engineer to record some of your songs as demos. It seemed too good to be true, and for the most part, it was, because there was a catch. They wanted you to have a baby with Gaster, they said it would be after you were cured of your betrayal lines and after you were known as an artist but you weren't calmed by that. You may have been curious about a possible child many years down the road but, there was more than just the problem of having a safe pregnancy without your betrayal lines or even being able to follow your dreams as you wanted.

The downside? If you were off your medication there is a large chance you become suicidal again. Sure, Gaster could try his best to keep you calm but he would have to constantly supervise you to do that, and that sounded exhausting. That aside, even with this being way too sudden, there is an even larger issue here. 

There was no way that Gaster would ever want to create more of his kind, he hates himself, and worst-case scenario, you worry he would end up resenting the child. He didn't want his species to exist, you knew he wasn't someone who was ready to handle children, Sans and Papyrus are prior examples of that. Sure things were much different now and he wouldn't leave you alone, in your heart you knew he would be a good father but still the self hate still exists in him, and it would not just go away if the two of you had a kid. You can barely handle teenagers let alone younger children but...the worst part is this whole plan that the king and queen have for the two of you?

_It made total sense to you._

Truly if all you had to do was love Gaster and have one child for all of the monster and human race be motivated to come together, what right do you have to refuse? You know it's your body and your choice, but if all they ask of you is one child, and it results in the world being closer and treating each other with more love and compassion? Even if it's just by a small amount, then how could you live with yourself if you refused them? They were not asking much in comparison, they even offered to help you further your dream, and make sure you're safe and healthy first. If someone were to tell you a year ago they could fulfill your wildest dream and all you had to do is have a baby with someone you loved with plenty of support to raise the child, you know you would have agreed in a heartbeat. 

You don't have to stop being an artist, plenty of celebrities have had children and then just go back to work after a year with no problem. You had a feeling Toriel and the rest of the royal family would help you raise the child, so you and Gaster would never be without help. Sure you would have to be off your medication, but Toriel was right, Gaster was like a walking pharmacy. Your problems were all chemical imbalances in your brain, otherwise, your body was perfectly healthy enough to have a baby. Most importantly, if the baby has the lifespan of a monster then, something you refused to acknowledge before… _when you die at least Gaster wouldn't be alone._ What would Gaster say when you told him you were okay with this? You decided once you were cured of your betrayal lines and once you made a big name for yourself in the music industry, then you would tell him you wanted to try this plan for peace. 

Would Gaster find you ignorant or insane for thinking this? You were always the kind of person to be able to make decisions like this easily, you knew what you wanted in life, you knew what you could handle, and you knew what was right. Your decision wouldn't change easily, but for now, you decided not to tell Gaster, you had a feeling he was going to suggest trying to stall and postpone your reply to the king and queen's proposal as long as possible anyway. Since your decision was to accept, you knew doing this wouldn't hurt, in the end, they would be happy no matter how aggravated they may be from your _‘indecisiveness’._ Of course, this wasn't just your decision to make, _It was just as much Gasters choice as it was yours._

Obviously, if things were different and you had somehow already been pregnant then it would be only your choice since it's your body, but if you're going into this together you were going to make sure he wanted this too. Bonds can't be faked, so you’re sure that means pregnancy definitely couldn't, you know plenty of Humans have gotten _pregnant_ from a monster, and consent was needed and all, but there weren't any _successful births_ of human/monster children. Toriel said Gaster was a monster that was compatible with humans, no matter how willing you were to give this a shot, you told yourself you would try this once, you did not want to go through the pain of multiple miscarriages. You didn't think the king or queen would request it of you if things don't work out the first time, but even so, they seemed quite confident you and Gaster would be successful. 

You briefly thought of how anyone else in your situation would have had multiple mental breakdowns during the week you've had, you applauded yourself for only really having half of one. If you could get through this with Gasters help, then maybe you could handle the stress of being pregnant with the help of his calming magic. You took a deep breath, this wasn't happening now, it would be at least a year away, you had to find a cure for betrayal lines first, you had time to fall more and more in love with Gaster. So, you found comfort in realizing this decision would become easier to accept and understand with each passing day. You were being pushed, but not rushed, just then you felt the mattress sink to the right of you, Gaster had reappeared sitting next to you on the bed. 

* * *

Gaster had stayed monotone as he informed the king and queen that he and you would talk things over, and get back to them later. Toriel told him that you and he did not need to agree to a child just yet, that all they ask for now is that he and you present your relationship as a healthy functioning one. Gaster internally laughed, you and he had just agreed on how unhealthy the two of you really were, Gaster put the weight of his people on his shoulders for so long, he never thought he would be under this kind of pressure again. It was almost easier if Asgore wanted a war, he could refuse with reason, a war is more absurd to others. How was he supposed to refuse to make a symbol of love and prosperity between humans and monsters?

Would it be selfish to refuse and rob all of monsters and humans of a possible large step towards unity? Or would it be more selfish to ask this of you? No, it would be the most selfish to willingly create another one of his kind. Then again, the child would be made of two influences, himself, and you. Anything that had any part of you, would never be anything less than perfect, to him at least. He thought of this all before, he thought of what it may be like to have a family with you, but he never spent time thinking more on it, other than simply being caught up in a daydream. 

You had dreams to chase, you wanted him as part of your future, you told him that yet...he would already have to watch you die one day, of old age for however long the universe let him have you. Gaster thought he would just dust out of heartbreak when the time came, but to have a child would change everything. If the child had a human's lifespan, it would be as if he would go through losing you twice. Gaster would force himself somehow to carry on without you because he would never leave a being that was any part of you be alone, but then they too would leave him. Should he be looking for a way to make you immortal? He would look into it, if anyone could find it would be him, because he would tear through heaven and hell to find a way to keep you with him. For now, he had to focus on consoling you, and when the king and queen said their goodbyes they told him of one last thing. 

“Alphys said that Ember was to be part of a show in the city ten days from now, yes? We find that a perfect place for the two of you to be seen in public together for the first time, such a large mall is a perfectly nonchalant environment. Stick to the respectable classier stores and keep a natural casual demeanor, and you will certainly be seen as more relatable.” Asgore says in the doorway of the entrance hall, Gaster wanted to slam the door.

“We will be in contact the day after the show that Sunday, for now, please try not to worry about what we discussed too much, there is much that needs to happen before anyone is asked to do anything.” Toriel says, shooting a warning side glance at Asgore.

Gaster said his goodbyes and the second they left, he shut and locked the door, then teleported himself directly next to you on the bed. _You were strangely calm._

* * *

You look over to your right at Gaster, tossing your pillow you held back to its place at the head of the bed, and unravel yourself from the comforter he had wrapped you in. He gave you a worried look, and you let out a big sigh before replying.

“Well I was not expecting that, not in a million years did I expect to be asked something like that the first day our bond went public.” You gave a few exasperated giggles, before pushing the blankets aside to sit directly next to him, your head leaning against his shoulder.

Gaster leaned his head down slightly to kiss the top of your head, he hummed in equally exhausted bemusement before replying.

“Normally when monsters bond, the first question they are asked is related to reproduction, or so I have seen.” Gaster says softly.

“Yeah, it's kinda the same for humans once they get married, we just kinda...our bond just happened.” You say, your tone just as soft, but you felt the need to tack-on one last comment, just so it was clear you weren't saying you rushed this (even though you did) things were different for you two...

“We’ve got different variables, just cause we did things out of order than most people do things... it doesn't mean we don't need to do the other steps,” you take a deep breath, “we’ve got plenty of time to find out more about each other so I’m not worried.” You say some of what had been on your mind while he was gone.

“Yes dear, there are bound to be people who misunderstand but...we don't need to follow anyone's expectations or order of how they think things need to be.” He says, and for a quiet moment the two of you just stare off into nothing, being in the comfort of each other was enough for your souls to seem to hum in harmony.

You wanted to call your parents now, but today had been too much for both of you, you would have to do it after class tomorrow with Adelya as you thought about doing earlier.

“Hey, Gaster? Would it be okay if we..kinda just talked about nothing important for a bit? Maybe we could just get into pajamas...and just fall asleep whenever?” You say, your left hand moving to hold onto Gaster’s arm, he turns his head slightly again, to give your forehead a light kiss, before replying.

“Yes dear, that sounds like a wonderful way to rid us of the stress.” Gaster says barely above a whisper, it was clear you were both very tired.

* * *

Once you and Gaster had changed into your _‘pajamas’_ (which is really just a slip nightgown for you, and boxers for him) you cuddled close to the middle of the bed, the soft comforter keeping your body heat together. You were always a comfortable and cozy amount of warmth when you were close to him like this, so while he gently combed through your hair and absentmindedly petted you affectionately; the two of you talked.

You asked him his favorite color, he told you Vermilion, which wasn't a surprise. A mixture of red and orange, it made your heart flutter. When he asked you your favorite color, you had to explain you didn't have a favorite color perse, you had favorite color combinations, as you always wanted to pair a color with black. Red and black was your favorite, and he told you how he thought you looked beautiful in red, you told him how you loved his poetry again, which led to a discussion on books. You asked some of his favorites, turned out many of them were escape/journey novels, a character working to leave their current situation into a better one, it made melancholy sense to you. 

You asked if he liked movies, he told you that he used the Tvs for news and videos of fake fireplaces that played jazz music in the background. You laughed at that, he assured you it wasn't the same as a real fire, you asked if you could have a campfire with him soon, and he told you he would. You talked about how you loved musicals, and you asked if he would watch a few of your favorite movies with you, he told you he would be more focused on you than the screen but he would try. You giggled and called him ‘wonderfully cheesy’ to which he chuckled and told you that you were just as bad for enjoying every ‘cheesy’ thing he said, you told him he had a point.

You started to talk about your favorite outdoor activities and Gaster mentioned he had an impressive telescope that he liked to bring with him to the top of Mount Ebott. You were fascinated and asked to go with him there one day, you then came to the conclusion you wanted to go camping with him. Gaster told you he and you could do that this weekend if you wanted, and you agreed only if your friend Haru could come over to keep Adelya company. Gaster was hesitant but it seemed he expected you to ask this question, and simply told you to make sure Adeyla picks her up from campus, and to not get out until she parked in the garage and closed the door. 

You asked him why it mattered for him to keep such privacy, and he told you that at first when he wouldn't specify his monster type he would be constantly hounded by paparazzi. It's been years since monsters came to the surface and while he wouldn't care anymore, with your bond people were bound to find out eventually, he just hoped the majority of the buzz would die down before people found out his address. You agreed to tell Haru and Adelya to be discreet, and so he agreed to let Haru in on the secret. 

You let Gaster know tomorrow you planned to watch movies with Adelya. You told Gaster you also planned to tell your parents about things tomorrow, you had previously told him you would need to cut them off, and he never questioned it. You told him you would like him to keep you calm, but Adelya would be there to take over the conversation if needed, he told you he would take care of any grief they gave you. You told him that sounded way too ominous, he didn't respond, then you told him to behave, which got a few chuckles out of you both. He and you would need to get up at 6 am tomorrow, so right as you started to ask him about helping your new tattoo friend Aria, you felt yourself drifting off and you comfortably fell asleep in Gaster's arms around midnight. 

* * *

You fell asleep peacefully in his arms, and all Gaster wanted was to stay in this dreamlike situation with you. You seemed to want to ignore the king and queen's plan for now, and he agreed that the two of you didn't need to do anything or decide anything for a long time. For now, you both just wanted to enjoy the ride of getting to know each other. Gaster would treasure every moment with you and tomorrow he would start the process of extracting the betrayal line code from your soul. He would work towards curing you, and on the side, he would look into keeping your soul with him forever, you were a strong anomaly, with all his and your abilities, there could be a rare chance he would find that immortality for you. He knew he couldn't stop you from dying altogether, even a monster can die, but only if they are killed. He only needed to make you as ‘immortal’ as a monster was in that sense, and then he would make sure no one ever got the chance to hurt you. He wouldn't lose you to _anyone or anything_ , he wouldn't let the void take you, and he wouldn't lose you to time either.

Gaster had the alarm set for 6 am, tomorrow would be another day and your equalizer, Adelya, would be bringing the last of her things and moving in during the afternoon. He and you had to get through your class, then when the two of you met back at the house, he would make the three of you a good meal before you stressed yourself out with the call to your parents. He heard the way they spoke about your dreams when he listened in on your call with them on Sunday. If they made you cry again he didn't know what he would do, but it would be something that inconvenienced them in the worst way he could possibly orchestrate without upsetting you. Or he could just verbally threaten them, he was a fan of scare tactics after all. Tomorrow you would surely request Adelya meet Blizzard, and he had to catch up on grading assignments, so in the meantime, you, Adelya, and Blizzard could relax with a movie as you had said.

When you cuddled closer to him in your unconscious state, Gaster felt like he could get through this chaos a thousand times, if only you stayed in his arms like this at the end of each day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, your not expected to start a war, but you ARE expected to start a family. They want grandkids guys, chop-chop lol. 
> 
> Rest assured, no one is being forced into anything, but the king did make it clear that he would keep a close eye on them, when Ember is cured and popular he wants a baby to unite everyone. Geeze what's with monsters and letting kids decide their fate? 
> 
> “I can tell by your tattoo that you don’t mind being passionate with him my dear.” is Toriel for 'I know you guys do be kinky and it's not a problem 4 u so like you might as well be the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned...wait...who let my chemical romance in this fanfiction?
> 
> God isn't that song so beautiful and chill? It really explains how they just kinda are gonna take their time and fall in love and do their own thing. I bet no outside forces will plot to disrupt that or anything <3
> 
> Embers just like went from Britney spears 'toxic' and 'I'm a slave 4 u' to 'hit me, BABY, one more time'. RIP 
> 
> Tumblr! (https://somewhere-between-red-and-orange.tumblr.com/ ) 
> 
> Plz gib me da comments I feed them to the incubus spirit that helps me write <3 thank u and see you in the next update <33  
> -🔥


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